Differing Trails
by xXxshadowsneak
Summary: A child is taken from his civilian life and forced to train as a soldier for ten years. He is put into a special program with another training team, but is forced into an internal rivalry. After he finishes training, the Office of Naval Intelligence recruits him and puts Perish and his team into the Headhunter section where he serves his military life hunting down contracts.
1. Chapter 1

**1212, May 15th 2532 [MILITARY CALENDAR]/Inner colony Orogontor, Augumonto Elementary school**

Perish can't say that what he left behind was ever truly great. A widowed father who worked all of the time with no mother. Perish's lask of trust for any other person left him with no friends and no one to talk to. Even the teachers in his school avoided him. But Perish did not mind this kind of life. He enjoyed the isolation he was gifted from being left alone. He would sit at the top of the big green hill during recess and watch the other children play and have fun. To Perish, this was just as fun as running around in the grass and on the jungle gyms.

The kids in his class told him that he was too mean. But the teachers told him that he was too smart. Perish would frequently correct or add facts during their lessons and either confuse or infuriate the adults. Even though he would get yelled at, Perish enjoyed outsmarting the adults. It made him feel powerful.

This sense of empowerment is exactly what brought Christian C. Waylen to Augumonto Elementary school on a cool midsummer day. She entered the playground on the lie that she was a family member come to speak with Perish Topplar.

When Perish saw her, he was sitting at the top of the hill with his back to the cement wall that served as their fence. The wind blew gently across the well trimmed emerald grass. The sun was high in the rusty brown sky and the children down below were squealing happily with laughter. Perish could hear the distant rumblings of the mining quarry and his mind started wandering to the pit that he had once seen from a far distance away. He wanted to explore that pit and find out what was at the bottom. But his father said it was too dangerous for someone as young as him, and that all that was down there was just more rock. But this didn't sway the young child's curiosity and he found himself daydreaming about unexplored tunnels gleaming with bright rocks and glowing crystals.

When the gate opened loudly, it startled the boy. His gaze fell on the two adults entering the playground. Peering through the glare of the sun, he saw that it was a lady dressed in a strange white coat that reminded him of the dentists his father would occasionally take him to see. Perish wondered what a dentist would be doing at his school. Behind the woman followed a tall and muscular man with short hair and narrow eyes. The little boy had seen soldiers before in posters and on TV, and this man almost reminded him of the brave men who fought on his TV. But he looked different, less...friendly.

The little boy watched the two scan the playground before beginning to walk casually through it. He watched them as they slowly climbed the hill and came to a stop by his side. Perish slowly stood up and looked up at them. "Who are you?" he asked defensively, taking a step back to look at them better. This close up, the man looked even more intimidating. Perish could see old scars riddling his face and callouses marking his hands. He could swear he saw a bulge of something on the man's hip underneath his jacket.

The lady smiled and knelt down to his level which didn't make her seem any less intimidating. "You are Perish Topplar, correct?" She asked with a small smile that lit up her entire face. Perish felt a twinge of sadness upon seeing her smile. It reminded him of his mother who he had lost almost two years ago. But he buried that feeling and stared her straight in the eyes. The cold steel look in his eyes startled Waylen so much that she had to blink.

"Yes. I'm Perish. Did my dad send you?" the boy asked. Waylen smiled again and produced a small pendant from her pocket. She held it out for him to see and the small trinket intrigued the boy.

It was a transparent crystal with glistening edges. Tiny words were inscribed into one side and Perish had to squint to see them. Waylen gave it to him and he held it up to the sun. The light shone brightly through the crystal and hurt his eyes. He moved away from the sun and peered close at the tiny words in the rock. "You're your own weapon..." Perish read slowly. "Correct," Waylen said, smiling warmly. "Everyone has a weapon. Do you know what yours is?"

Perish thought hard about that for a moment before finally shaking his head. He had expected the lady to say something about it, but she only got up and left, the man with the narrow eyes following her.

It was only a week later that Perish's life would be forever altered. If he knew what was going to happen, the child would have ran away. But not even his father had expected the kidnapping.

Perish was walking home through one of their nature parks and enjoying the quiet. The birds were loud that day and were flying high over the child's head. Perish reached into his pocket and picked up the crystal pendant that he had been given by Waylen and studied it. He had gone over time and again what the words could have meant. "You're your own weapon." But he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried.

Perish had heard something moving behind him and suddenly stopped and looked over his shoulder. He finally dismissed it and looked back around, but didn't expect to see someone standing there. The man was dressed in a black suit, very unusual for the hot weather they had been having. Perish was about to say something but a hand suddenly clamped over his mouth from behind. He didn't even have time to scream before the needle injected into his bloodstream. He tried to fight whatever was pulling him under but he only managed to fall to his hands and knees. "Subject is detained. Bring the car around," one of the men had said, speaking into an earpiece. Perish fell on his back and stared up at the fading sky. His mind was swimming in a dense fog and he couldn't think at all. He only held on to conciousness for another minute before the drug pulled him under and forcing him to sleep for a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

**1900, May 21st, 2532 [MILITARY CALENDAR]/In orbit above Inner colony Orogontor**

It felt like I was asleep for hours. I could feel that the syringe had bruised my neck and made me stiff. I had expected to wake up in some dark and cold basement, but instead I find myself staring at the ceiling of a bland room. After sitting up, I realize that the bed I'm on is lacking in comfort. But when I swing my legs off of the side, I recoil from the sheer coldness of it. Forcing back tears, I plant my feet onto the ground and grip the edge of the bed as a nasty shiver runs up and down my spine.

It seems that as soon as I woke up, someone knew. Because a second later the door swings open and a man dressed in military clothing steps inside holding something black in his hands. He is nothing like the soldiers I've seen on the posters back home. He's much less friendlier and cares nothing about me or my emotions. "Get dressed and fall in line," he snaps, handing me the clothing. The door closes and leaves me in silence.

I hold out the suit and find that its my perfect size. It's completely black and skin-tight which makes it difficult to put on. But once I have it on, I walk outside and find a long line of children in the black suits as well. They look just as scared as I do, which is a relief. But the odd thing is that they are all just as old as me, or at least close to the same age. I don't like being this close to the others and I just want to get someplace quiet and safe and wait this nightmare out. But I force myself to stay in line and wait for whatever will come next.

At the far end of the hallway, a man appears and holds his arms behind his back. "You will follow your assigned instructor who will lead you to your cryostasis chambers. Once inside the room, do as you are told. Failure to comply will lead to harsh punishments." The man looks like all of the other adults, muscular and scary. I'm beginning to think that this has something to do with the military. But what would they want with a bunch of kids?

I wait in tense silence with the others until it is my turn to be taken away. I am led through a series of tunnels and finally arrive in a room filled with upright metal tubes. Each tube has two adults next to it who are wearing doctor clothing and hold holo-pads as they examine the children stepping into the machines.

My instructor leads me to one of the chambers and instructs me to get inside. I obey and cautiously lower myself onto the padding. It's very uncomfortable which doesn't help with my fear. The doctor-like adults crowd around me and begin poking and prodding me and finally end by making me drink a thick and foul tasting water.

The instructors leave and each machine turns on. Once this happens, the rest of the adults step away. My heart is beating fast when I am shut in. The inside suddenly gets very cold and the window begins to frost over. But I don't mind it because I'm getting very sleepy. The hard and uncomfortable padding feels like the warmest and softest bed I've ever been in. My breathing slows as I begin to drift off into sleep. I find myself thinking about my old bed and its comforts and I finally allow myself to fall into a long and deep sleep.

It had only seemed like minutes I was asleep before I am jolted awake. The air is frozen and hurts my lungs. Everything is bone chilling cold. I try to bring my limbs up but they only move at half speed no matter how hard I try. The hatch opens and steam spills out into the air beyond. Despite the grabbing arms of the adults, I throw myself out of the tube and instantly fall to my hands and knees. My lungs are burning and everything hurts. I feel sick and can't help but vomit all over the floor. Once I am finished, the doctors gently escort me into the waiting arms of an instructor who guides me out of the room and into into another room with many vehicles waiting inside. I realize that it must be a ship garage because of all of the vehicles.

Twenty other children and myself are put into one of the long flying vehicles called Pelicans and are flown to the surface of the planet. It's a long and scary ride down, in which a few kids get sick and very nearly puke. But we each get a treat when we fly over the barren desert and see the large base below.

The desert all around the base is barren. Not a single tree or mountain to be found. But the base itself is green and very much alive. Trees are scattered around the front areas and the large courtyard that sits in the middle of it all.

We drop down into the buildings and are escorted down a few levels into an ampitheater. The room is packed full and each of us are sat down with an instructor next to us. They stand like sentries, watching and waiting.

The next few minutes are tense as the lady from before appears holding a holo-pad. She looks just as friendly and I have to repress the warm feelings I get from her smile. The doors close with an echoing slam and the entire room quiets down as the lady prepares to speak.

"I am Christian C. Waylen," she says, sweeping the room with her gaze. "You have all been very brave by coming here. I know it has been a rough trip for all of you." She adjusts her stance and all of the warmth in her face is gone. It has been replaced by a cold and steely look that pierces through the soul of each child in the room. I can feel it in my gut that I won't like what's coming next. "But I regret to inform you that you may never see your parents again."

My heart jumps into my throat and I suddenly feel angry. I stand up because I've had it. They took us from our homes, from what all that we've known, and just expect us to sit here and accept this? No. I won't take it. But as soon as I stand, the instructor next to me shoves me back down so hard that I can only sit in stunned silence for her to finish. "This place will become your home. All of the other children you see around you will become your family. You trainers will become your parents." Her words do nothing to settle the unrest that had been growing inside of the room. The feeling of dread in my gut only grows from what she had just revealed. "Follow your drill instructors to your room. You may have ten hour's sleep before your new life begins." And with that, she turns on her heel and leaves the room.

We are herded like sheep to the shower room where we are forced to strip in front of everybody and take a shower in luke-warm water. We are then forced into a line which we wait in for fifteen minutes. Each time someone tries to break the line, they are pushed back into it by one of the adults. I can hear the stiffled sobs from different children down the line. I'm not feeling too good myself.

After the fifteen minutes are up, our new clothing appears. I am handed boots, a belt, pants, and a shirt with the numbers _312_ etched into the left breast. Each set of clothing looks exactly the same, save the individual numbers. Not one has a name on them and I have the creeping feeling that they are robbing us of our identities.

We are led to our beds and each child finds a bunk before falling into it. I find my own near the corner of the room and attempt to fall asleep.

In the middle of the night, I get out and crawl underneath the metal bedframe. It's safe and secure down here. No one can see me. I can be alone with my thoughts. I pull my sheet over me and close my eyes and try to hold back the tears.

It's a few hours before the instructors return. They come in loudly, shouting and yelling for us to wake up. I can hear a zapping electrical sound and the yelps of pain from the others. Once they near me, I crawl into the corner and pull the bed's frame closer to me. "Get out of there! What do you think you are, a beetle?!" the instructor bellows. He takes the frame and pulls it away from the corner and takes my arm and yanks me to my feet. I want to fight back but look over and see that another kid with black hair had already done it for me.

He had been pretending to be asleep and suddenly lashes out at one of the instructors with the electrical prodders. He kicks it out of the adult's hands but the adult reacts by grabbing him by the throat and throwing him to the ground. The boy quickly gets to his feet after attacking the man and stands in line with the rest of us.

When the man nears, I suddenly remember him. He's the one that had been with Waylen when we first met, the narrow eyed one. "I am Cheif Petty Officer Hokai. And the rest of these men are your instructors. You will do what they say, when they say," the adult says loudly. He is even more scary than I first remembered him, especially after he grabbed that kid. "The showers are behind you. Shower then return here. On the double."

Fearing punishment, we run to the back of the room and strip our clothing and bathe in ice-water and redress into our uniforms. The freezing cold bath wakes us all up and we are practically buzzing as we return to the main room where Hokai had been waiting. "Outside, double time!" he orders. No one wants to face his wrath again so we quickly obey and follow the lead drill instructor out of the doors and into the cold early morning sunlight.

We are led to a nearby grassy lawn which is pale and covered in dew. The instructors herd us into formation as Hokai takes a stance. Once we are all settled, he launches into our exersizes. "One hundred jumping jacks, go!" he says, beginning his own set.

The man is a machine. While the rest of us are gasping for breath and falling to the ground, he hasn't even broken a sweat. Those who fall to the ground and vomit are told to keep going. We aren't even given a rest before Hokai stops and launches into the next set. "One hundred sit-ups!"

I could barely follow his lead. Every muscle in my body is screaming for rest. I could feel the bile in my stomach rise and threatning to come out of my mouth. But to avoid the trouble of getting yelled at, I keep it down and try to finish. But by the time I hit seventy, I roll over onto my stomach and vomit all over the grass. Only a small amount of bile comes up but the taste in my mouth is awful. I will myself to get back up and finish the rest and only barely manage to do so.

Finally, Hokai stands up and begins stretching. "Ten minute break," he calls. He's only panting and looks like he can still run ten miles. In a way, it makes me angry. But I ignore the feeling and collapse onto my back. The cold feeling from the dew is refreshing even though the morning air is still cold and bitter. My breath comes out in visible puffs as I try to sooth the hellfire sensation in my muscles.

The instructors wheel in barrels full of water bottles which we each take and guzzle without a word. We are all way too tired to complain or to even do anything more than pant.

After the hell-like exercise, we are taken to an impressive building with marble collumns. We learn history there from a holographic lady. We learn about the three-hundred Spartans and about wolves and their hunting methods. But the ones that I like the most are the Tigers. They hunt alone and are often unseen in their natural enviroment. Silent and efficient, they can use anything to their advantage. I hang on to every word she speaks when she begins talking about the kings of the Jungle.

My favorite part about our training is the obstacle course. It's an assortment of things like the rock wall, rope climb, mud crawl, and wooden Battle maze. It's a maze where you are put in the middle of and you have to use your tracking skills to find your way out. But while you are finding your way out, you are being attacked by the instructors who have pellet guns which hurt a lot.

I was just getting used to the way things worked when I was pulled aside during our exersizes and taken to a special room deep inside of the base.

Waylen meets me there and she is sitting at her desk, looking a little bit older than when I last saw her a year ago in the ampitheater.

I salute her and stand at attention. She smiles and nods to me. "You have performed well this past year, cadet-312. And that is why you are being transferred to a different..." Waylen pauses, searching for the right word. "...school. You will be learning with seven others and will be isolated from the other cadets. You will be put into a team and you will learn to work together as if you have known them all of your life."

I furrow my brow upon hearing this. I have learned to not expect anything, and to not be disappointed. But this news disturbs me. She is saying that I will be taken away from my family and put together with strangers and expected to already know them like I know myself. I have learned that I can do a lot, but this sounds like too much. "If I may, ma'am...what you propose sounds difficult," I say hesitantly. She just smiles at me. "I know you can do it. I believe in you." What can I say to that? Nothing. So I just salute her and leave with one of the instructors.

From that day forwards, I never saw any of the cadets I trained with again because I was transferred to a completely different area of the base and sectioned off from everything else but our training. The next nine years would honestly be the hardest I have ever experienced. But they would also make me the Spartan I would later become. And I have to thank my enemies for that. Enemies that are with me every step of the way.


	3. Chapter 3

**0554, Feburary 29th, 2533 [MILITARY CALENDAR]/ Ortz System, Planet Mephis, Base Galich, Eastern training wing**

My new teammates aren't anyone I've ever seen before. But I can tell that they're around my age.

We meet in our new bunking room that has two bunks on either side, facing each other. There's only room for the four of us and three extra adults.

There are two boys and a girl who has a mean look to her. She has a dried blood scuff on her lip which she absently licks at as she studies the rest of us. Her hair is a strange light color that almost reminds me of the skin of a ripe peach.

There is a dark skinned kid who always looks like he's angry. I had seen him a few times before during the obstacle course training. He would push the smaller kids out of the way and manage to run right into an instructor. He would frequently be the first one to be taken down during the mazes and would be the first one to find traps by accidentally activating them. Some of us had told him to slow down and be careful, but he would blow us off and get into trouble anyways. I had heard that he tried to break out of the base one night but was caught after he got shocked by the electric fence because he hadn't seen the warning sign.

A smaller kid sits on the top bunk, looking down at me. He has bright colored eyes that seem to see everything and his short hair looks as if he had colored it with highlights. His expression is cool and calculating as he assesses me with judging eyes. I had heard a little about him, Cadet- _314_. None of the kids ever talked about him, but the instructors had a certain disdain for him. From what I've heard, the kid has laid traps for the instructors and has even detained one of them after he set up an ambush with the other children.

The dark skinned kid, _315_ , approaches me and gets inches away from my face. "I don't like you," he says, his eyes narrowing threatingly. "Why?" I ask evenly. I barely had time to react as his fist slams into my gut, making me fall to my knees and cough. "I'm the leader now, understand?" He says. I don't answer so he kicks me in the same place his fist had landed, drawing an extra stab of pain. "We need to work together, that's what Christian said," the boy on the top bunk says, watching us. The dark skinned boy turns around and stares at him. "I don't care what she said. I'm the boss around here!" I get to my feet and my anger suddenly flares. Who is he to think that he's the boss of us without having even trained for a minute together?

I lash out and grab him by the throat. He's a little stronger than I had first imagined and he throws his weight into me and knocks me down. My hands are still clamped around his trachea as he gets on top of me and begins bashing my face with his fists. His knuckles smash into my nose and pain shoots up my head from the impacts.

Within a few seconds from the fight beginning, two instructors rush into the room and pry us apart. My nose is bleeding and the blood runs over my clothing. The other kid still looks infuriated and he is taken out of the room. I am given something to help stop the bleeding and return to the room.

"Don't worry, he's not our leader," the girl says with crossed arms. "Yeah, he hasn't even proven himself yet," the other boy says. He speaks with a strange accent that makes his words sound different. "But you're not either, just to be clear."

The boy hops down from the bed and comes to stand in front of me. He's several inches taller than me and almost towers over my head. "None of us will be, understand? No one will have more power over the other. We are equals from now on," he says. What he said wasn't a question, he was _telling_ me that no one was going to be the leader. I look him in the eyes and find cunning intelligence and intense focus looking back at me. I finally nod and stick out my hand. "Make it a promise," I say. The boy nods and takes my hand. "I promise," he responds.

I take my hand back with a smile and put a hand to my chest. "I'm Perish-312," I say. The girl steps forwards and looks me up and down before speaking. "Just so you know, my trust doesn't come easy. You're going to have to prove yourself," she says. "Janet-313."

"I am Melecia-314. And..." the other boy says and jumps back onto the bed he had just left. "...this Is my bunk." I watch him before nodding. "Do you have one claimed yet?" I ask, looking to Janet. She shakes her head. "No. I don't really care where I sleep," she says. "I'll say. I remember when you fell asleep on the jungle gym," Melecia says with a grin. "You know each other?" I ask curiously. Janet shakes her head. "Not really. We've met a few times but haven't really talked until now."

The dark skinned kid returns a little while later looking angry but controlled. "If you think I'm any less pissed off with you, you're wrong," he growls. But he sticks out his hand. "Charlie-315. We'll work something out," he says. I take his hand and shake it. "Perish-312," I respond guardedly. If our team is going to work together, then I'll have to trust him no matter what and put our differences behind us. But that will come in time.

A little while later we are taken to the courtyard just outside of our "living quarters". The courtyard is fairly large and covered with manicured grass. A few trees ring the outlines of the yard, giving shade to the covered walkway that attaches each different building. The glare from the dunes just barely outside of the huge protective fence illuminates the base with a faint orange outline. The military groundskeepers have done a good job of keeping most of the blowing sand out of the base, but every now and then you can see patches of grass that have turned a faint brown color from the accumulating sand.

We stand in formation with our hands behind our backs and wait for Hokai to arrive.

When he does, he arrives with four other kids in tow. They stand in formation just across from us and stare straight ahead. Hokai positions himself between us and begins talking. "You have been seperated from the others for a reason. You will be training under special guidance in a program called 'Project Freebird'. You will be specially trained in what we will have you do. Make no mistake, you will be just as good, if not better, than the ones you have been taken from," Hokai says. He begins pacing our small line as he continues. "We expect you to learn how to operate with your new teams as if you have always known them." Hokai stops at the end of the line and looks back at each group. "You will be training for nine years. At the end of these nine years, a surprise will be waiting for you. You will only receive this surprise if you are worthy enough for it. But...only one team will be able to have it. The other team will be kicked out of the military."

Hokai pauses and lets the news sink in. He studies each of our reactions, except no one even twitches a muscle. But I can tell no one likes it. Only the best team will receive the surprise. Which means the best team will win. I don't want to lose, and I doubt anyone else does either.

On that day, a rivalry is born. I'm not going to be the one to lose, and neither will my team. I hate the others because they're competition.

Hokai leaves us to get acquainted with the other team we'll be training with but we don't talk to each other for a good ten minutes.

The silence is broken when the kid in jet black hair steps forward with a friendly smile on his face. He extends a hand in greeting. "I'm Jackson-332," he says. His expression falls when I don't take the hand but glare at it. "We're going to win," I say in a matter-of-fact tone. He takes his hand back and looks confused. "I'm sure he didn't really mean that," Jackson says. "But if you're wrong? We will win, you can count on that. And I won't let you or your friends get in the way," I say harshly. I don't like it when people are as friendly as he is. It...disturbs me. I don't trust people for a reason. They always have some ulterior motive to get under your skin. If you automatically make them dislike you, they'll leave you alone and you'll be safe.

Jackson frowns again and looks at the others. "Doesn't it seem strange to you? Why would they put us into special training but only let one of our teams win? It goes against all that we've been taught about teamwork," he says. "If we lose, we will be washed out of training and put into a civilian life. I, for one, do not like the sound of that. I do not regret leaving behind what I did. They had nothing for me. My year with the UNSC has been better than the six that my parents gave me. I hope that you would agree with me," Melecia says. The taller of the four others steps up with an angry expression. "No, I don't! You're idiots for saying your parents never gave you anything. They gave you life, if nothing else. And that's something to respect on its own," he says. "and if you don't have the mental capacity to even respect that, I will _never_ respect any of you."

Jackson places a hand on the fiery cadet's shoulder and shakes his head. But Charlie, being the hot head that he is, gets right up in his face. "Since you're so narrow minded, then I guess you wouldn't understand the value of how important fighting for what you believe in is. You're a filthy disgrace to the UNSC and I just _hope_ that you lose so I can watch you rot in hell," Charlie says, practically spitting in the other cadet's face.

I don't really know who swung first, but sooner than I knew it, a fight had erupted and we were all kicking and punching each other. I have Jackson by the throat and am holding him down and trying to bash his fragile skull into the ground. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Melecia go down from a punch by the other team's female cadet. Charlie has the other hot tempered one completely flat on the ground with an elbow dug into his neck.

Our violent fight doesn't last long because a handful of the nearby personnel hear it and come to check it out. They rush in and put a stop to it and call Hokai back who is very angry with us. He sends us back to our rooms to cool down and sends each team a medic to check us out.

"Who do they think they are?" I hear Charlie mutter from the bunk above mine. "They don't even care that they're going to be kicked out." Melecia sits above Janet's bunk and is picking at a small dark stick that he had picked up from the courtyard. Its twisted and dying and he's stripped it of most of its bark. "Don't worry, we'll beat them. If we train hard enough, they do not stand a chance," he says. Janet lays on her bunk and stares up at the bottom of Melecia's half. "We'll have to be just as cunning as they are. Stay several steps ahead. If they get too far in front, we'll never catch up," she says. I lean back on the edge of my bed and stare off into the distance. "If we want to win and become real soldiers, we can't let them gain an edge," I say. I remember Jackson's face and how he questioned what Hokai had said. "I hate them. We'll show them that we're the better cadets. Won't we?" I look up at the others and they look back at me. "I'm not letting that smug faced idiot win," Charlie says. "You have my promise that I will try as hard as I can to come out on top," Melecia says with a nod. Janet just shrugs. "What more is there to say? We'll win," she says.

I go to sleep that night thinking of different ways to strangle Jackson. It brings a smile to my face knowing that he'll be the one to be left behind. Not me. Not us. Red Team will come out on top.


	4. Chapter 4

**0600, Februrary 30th, 2533 [MILITARY CALENDAR]/ Ortz System, Planet Mephis, Base Galich, Eastern training wing**

Early the next morning, we're again taken out of our rooms. But this time, we're lead outside of the courtyard and onto a length of concrete flooring. On the concrete is a raised obstacle course. I notice that while the obstacle course is short, it looks difficult.

After a long stretch of bare ground, a single strand of thick rope reaches down between two metal poles. The rope is attached to an overhead bar that rises twenty-five feet above the ground. The solid platform starts right after the rope climb and has large Warthog tires lining the extent. Once the tires end, the rest of it extends outwards for a few feet before turning into a lax wooden bridge that sags a little as it gaps the distance between each platform. The next platform is short but two poles jut into the air and signal the start of the third portion of the obstacle course, forty different ropes fixed onto a flat ceiling. The ropes dangle thirty feet above the ground and continue onwards until stopping over the beginning of the final hurtle, a wide, round metal platform.

In the middle of the platform sits a flag on a mound of dirt that had been deliberately placed there. The flag is red and blue with the UNSC insignia on it. Scattered around the final platform are an assortment of barricades. Some are cement, and others are metal. But they all point towards the flag which stands like a beacon in the middle of a potentially dangerous site. Near the rear of the final platform is a sturdy metal pole that is separate from the platform itself and drops down all of the way to the ground.

Hokai stands in front of us with his arms behind his back. "This will be your training grounds. You will come to learn this obstacle course like you would the backyard of your home. You will spend most of your days here, even if you are not training," he says, voice so loud it almost sounds like he's shouting. "And when it comes time, you will compete to win your prize here. Do you understand me?" We each square our shoulders and shout back an answer, eight voices rising to prove their eagerness. "Sir, yes sir!"

Hokai nods and turns to the obstacle course. "Your training begins for real today, cadets. And I expect you to not disappoint me." Hokai then leaves us alone to marvel at the giant course ahead of us.

"I'll bet that you can't beat us," Charlie sneers, looking directly at the bulkier kid, Cadet- _211_. "Don't make a promise you can't keep," he shoots back. "Once around the course, last ones back to this point has toilet duties for a week," Cadet-211 says. Charlie grins and folds his arms. "You're on!" He then turns to look at us. "Well?"

Janet shrugs and Melecia looks indifferent. "Might as well," he says. I look at the others and nod. "Lets go."

We all line up side-by-side and wait. "On five," Jackson says. "One...two...three...four...five."

Once he reaches five, all eight of us are up and running for the rope.

I find out that I can easily match Jackson's speed as I find myself sprinting side-by-side with him. I only fall behind when we reach the single rope and begin climbing. To avoid conflict, I let Jackson's team go first. But I quickly regret that decision as he begins outrunning us. Him and his team are more than halfway to the bridge. Charlie sees this once he climbs up onto the tires and scowls. "You idiot!" he snarls at me. He roughly shoves me aside and begins hopping in and out of the tires. Janet and I follow him closely behind him.

Melecia comes up beside us and overtakes Charlie who is angrily storming ahead as fast as he can. We look at him in shock and confusion before we see that he is balancing on the edges of the tires instead of hopping in and out. His feet move intricately, like a blur. It's a little infuriating that he figured that out before me. But none-the-less helpfull.

We follow his movements and make it through the tires quickly. Jackson's team already made it across the bridge and had started on the rope jungle. "One-by-one. Too much weight will collapse it," Melecia says, looking at the bridge. "What makes you say that?" Janet asks, raising an eyebrow. "Question me later, alright? We don't want to lose," Melecia says and gestures to the other team who are most of the way across the obstacle course.

We decide to listen to him and go one-by-one across the bridge. It was a smart decision, I realize, because when I cross, the wooden bridge sways dangerously and makes me question my balance. But I get across and join the others who are starting on the rope jungle.

The ropes are fairly long, but hard to hold onto. I try not to look down as I make my way across. My arms are screaming for rest by the time I get to the final hurtle, the round platform. The others in my team had already dropped and spread out around the barricades, taking cover behind them. "Nice of you to join us," Janet says, looking over at me. "Do we have a plan?" I ask her. She looks at Charlie who in turn looks at Melecia. The kid is silent a moment before looking up at the other team who are talking with each other. "I've noticed that Cadet-333 is the slowest of their team. He takes a long time to think things through. Cadet-211 is the strongest and leads with his left arm. He leads ahead of the others. Cadet-334 is the fastest but she hesitates before reacting. I assume something is wrong with her left eye because she favors her right side. And as for Cadet-332, he seems to keep things within medium range. He has very good perephrial vision but is slow to react from things coming up from underneath him," Melecia says, looking back at us.

"How did you figure that out?" Janet asks him. He looks over at them and watches for a few seconds before returning his gaze. "I've been watching them," Is all he replies with.

"Alright then. We take advantage of those things," I say. "How will we do that?" Charlie asks. "We need a plan, of course. I vote that Perish gets the flag. Charlie, since you seem to be the strongest, you can take on Cadet-211. Me and melecia can go for Cadet-333 and Cadet-334," Janet says. Melecia only shakes his head. "I've got a better idea. Charlie made it here first out of all of us. He lead the other Cadets to the wall at a full sprint. He should take on Cadet-333 because he's the slowest. Janet, you take on Cadet-211. And I will go for Cadet-334," Melecia says. Charlie looks ready to challenge him, but he doesn't come up with a good reason to be mad at him.

"Sounds good to me," I say. "So, first one to get the flag out of its stand wins?" Janet asks. Charlie cracks his knuckles and then pops his neck. "Sounds right," he says. "We'll make the first move. Get ready," Melecia says, crouching down and getting ready to make a run for it.

Time seems to come to a stand-still as we wait for our chance. But it immideatly catches backup once I vault the barricade and clear the line of cover and come into the final open stretch to the mound of dirt that holds the flag.

Cadet-332 suddenly looks up and makes a break for the flag as well, covering a large amount of ground quickly.

I make it to the flag first but Cadet-332 makes it there a split second later and stares at me. We watch each other for a long time, waiting to see who will make the first move, but Cadet-332 breaks it first by grabbing for the flag. I go for his arm and clutch it hard and pull him away. He lets it go and turns to face me. He pulls his arm away and takes a step forwards. "What's your problem with me?" Cadet-332 asks. I don't answer with words, but instead punch him in the gut. When he doubles over, I go for the flag and rip it from its pedestal then hold it over my head. The others look up and Charlie cheers. I throw the flag down and run for the pole that I saw earlier.

The others follow me down and we quickly sprint back for the front of the obstacle course. A short time later, the other team meets us. But they look less than happy.

Cadet-332 approaches me and gets right up in my face. "What was that for?" He demands. "We do what it takes to win. We're not going to be left behind," I say, getting right back in his. "I've told you before, what Hokai said is wrong!" Cadet-332 says, his voice rising. My temper flares once again. Hokai is a great man and would never lie, especially not about something like this.

I don't know who started it, but before I know it, all eight of us are fighting again. We could have been good friends. But It's us or them. And I won't be the one to let my team down and get thrown out of the military.

 **2 YEARS LATER**

It's been a while since we were put into Project Freebird. I'm still not sure what the project is about, but I do know that not all Cadets are put into programs like this. I had the chance to talk to one of the cadets from the original program and he told me about how they train. Instead of training against each other, they train with each other. No one are enemies, and the instructors don't force the cadets into fights, they instead frequently break the fights up.

Our rivalry with Blue team has only gotten worse. The other instructors try to keep us apart for as long as possible. We're only ever truly together when we're training. We're allowed to roam the grounds between our sleeping quarters and the outermost obstacle course. Between the two points is the main courtyard, a manicured lawn, and a few different buildings that hold seperate points of interest. There is a mess hall and a commisary. One of the buildings is CPO Hokai's living quarters and we have four instructors that train us. Two of the Instructors are training us at any given time, but one of them swaps out with the other every few days. CPO Hokai is consistently with us, as in he never swaps out.

Another one of the buildings is our school. It's a squat and short building with a few chairs in it and some holographic projectors. The same AI that teaches the other cadets teaches us as well. His name is Pillar of Humanity, but everybody (with the exception of Hokai) calls him Pillar. He's a good teacher, but very stern. He even rivals Hokai with how he teaches. But he gets his point across and always teaches us something new.

I love when he teaches about the Tigers in the Jungles. Even though I have a team now, I still admire my time alone. I've started to learn how to disappear by studying how the Tigers stalk their prey. I've found its very effective. I have even hidden from the other instructors a few times. I'm trying to teach the others how to do the same, but only Melecia seems interested. I've even been studying how the Tigers fight and been using them in our sparring sessions.

A few days ago, we had special Marines come through our base. My team and I got a look at them as they were walking through. They were dressed in regular casual clothing, but they were incredibly tall. Taller than anybody we had ever seen before. Other than their height, they looked like regular soldiers. But we found out later from Instructor Benner that they were indeed "Spartans". The word is insignificant because we've never heard of them before. While we're curious about what a "Spartan" is, we go back to our training and never think about it again.

Today is a special day because Hokai woke us up incredibly early and told us to get ready for a training excersize. We were then led out to the landing pad area and loaded into a pelican.

When we finally took off, the sun was just barely beginning to peek over the horizon and brush the sandy dunes that stretch for as far as the eye can see. The roar of the engines is deafening because the pilot left the hatch open, allowing us to look over the ground as we fly over the desert.

"Your excersize for today is going to be extra special. You will be dropped off at seperate locations throughout the Seinna Mountain range. You will then find your way back to each other and secure a way back to Galich Base. You will be given no provisions and no way of finding each other. We are going to give you a seventy-four hour time limit until we consider you KIA. No help is going to be sent to recover you, you will be completely on your own. If you are hurt, you can not come crying back to us to kiss your boo-boo. The only one that might care are the predators, and they won't be comforting you. So I suggest you return to Galich in under forty-eight hours to avoid being killed," Hokai says, turning to face both of our teams.

I look at the others and they look just as scared and confused as I do. For once in our two years of training together, I look to Jackson for help. He motions at the open hatch of the pelican and makes a connecting gesture with his hands, _we'll meet up somewhere_. I nod and sit against my seat, trying to not be visibly shaken.

After about an hour of flying, the terrain changes drastically. We start flying over harsh mountain peaks and frozen forests that are coated with soft layers of ice and bare trees. The Desert becomes a snow covered mountain range in less than five minutes.

While we are looking out, I see a very large river that runs through a large portion of the range. I point it out to the others and they all agree that the River will be our meet-up point.

Much to my surprise, Hokai comes up to me and gives me a parachute. "You're up first, Cadet-312," Hokai says. I grab the parachute and slowly approach the edge of the ramp. The wind is furious and whips at me, trying to pull be off balance and rip me off of the safety of the Pelican. From this height, I can easily see that my landing options are scarce and I'll have to wing it to come up safely somewhere.

My time for observation is up, and I find myself holding my breath as I ready for the jump. I look over my shoulder one last time and look at my team who are eagerly watching me. With one final glance of my surroundings, I take an icy plunge into the open sky.


	5. Chapter 5

**0712, March 7th, 2534 [MILITARY CALENDAR/] Ortz System, Planet Mephis, Seinna Mountain Range**

For a few terrifying seconds, I lose track of my directional sense and end up flailing helplessly, afraid that any second now I will smash into the ground and die painfully.

But fortunately, that thought shocks me into gaining control of myself and I spread my arms out, slowing my fall. I then find the cord to the parachute and pull it. I brace myself as the chute rips out of the pack and drastically slows my fall and I quickly find my feet dangling high above the ground. It's intimidating being this high up with no real way to get down, only the slow descent with the parachute.

In the distance, I see a tiny figure slowly falling with an oversized parachute that is aiming for the forest below. I don't know who it is, but I mentally mark the location before refocusing on my own descent.

I wanted to land on the lower half of the nearby mountain, but I can't control myself well enough and end coming down right at the top of it. This mountain is absolutely massive and there are sheer drops on either side with a good amount of snow piled on top. I find myself holding my breath as I come to a hard stop and fall to my knees and sink into the crusty snow. The weight of the parachute attempts to rip me off of the narrow ledge and I am forced to quickly get rid of it. The wind catches the parachute and it flies off the far end, floating far over the ground.

Once I am rid of the parachute, I can finally calm down enough to get a bearing on where I am. The wind is incredibly cold and chills me to the bone as it comes screaming over edges of the rock. While my sealed suit protects me from the harsh temperatures of the snow beneath my body, I can still feel the cold and it's not pleasant.

I hesitantly get to my feet and look over both of the edges. To my right is a mountain range that spreads for many miles before thinning out into a desert. To my left is a frozen forest and the sheer drop-off of a cliff. But as I look backwards, I realize that I had gotten incredibly lucky. A ways back, the sheer cliff evens out and gives way to more stable footing. It's not the most even, but it's good enough to climb down. Not the safest, and probably not the smartest, but to keep from freezing to death and being left behind, I've got to take the fastest route.

After a few minutes in the deep snow, I make it to the edge and begin my trek down. The first foothold I find is slippery and I nearly loose my grip. The second foothold is a game changer because now I know I'm in it and there's no way out. The third soon becomes the fifth and the fifth gives way to the fifteenth.

While making my way down, my mind runs over the possible locations that the other cadets have dropped in. I know one of them was very near to me because I saw them coming down shortly after me. The river is north of my current location, so my best bet of meeting up with the others would just to go there and keep an eye out along the way.

It's not long before I finally make it to level ground and survey my surroundings. I had practically come down on top of a pine tree and disturbed the birds within. They take flight as I walk into the forest. I had gotten a mental bearing of where the River is and decided to make a bee line for it.

The snow down on the ground is only a few inches deep, but still enough to slow me down. I let myself make fairly obvious tracks in the hopes that they will help the others find me. I am pretty nervous being all alone in an unknown environment. I keep feeling eyes on my back, watching and waiting. I force myself to ignore the nerve induced feeling and push on.

I had been following the base of the mountain but start gradually heading inwards. Nothing seems to change. The snow on the ground remains unbroken and each leafless tree looks absolutely the same as the other. The only difference are the Pine trees with their frozen needles that scratch at my face as I pass them. At one point, I could have sworn I heard the breath of a predator behind me somewhere. But when I look back, there's nothing there. I ignore it and keep moving. But very quickly regret my decision.

As I am nearing a narrow gulch, the snow behind me crunches. Fearing that I am beginning to hallucinate, I ignore it once more. But the urgency tugging at the back of my mind forces me to turn around. And I'm pretty sure, had I not turned, I would have been killed.

A massive Grizzly Bear is right behind me, down on all fours, and barreling towards me like an unstoppable force. It is only feet from me, which gives me enough time to launch off of my heel and desperately throw myself to the side. The beast barrels past me so close that I can see its individual hairs as it slowly comes to a stop having realized that it had missed.

Pillar taught us about Bears. The hungry killing machines with huge claws and dim witted minds. Most of the smaller bears would run if they saw a human and would rather not pick a fight with something bigger their own size. But the Grizzlies don't have any fear and will pick a fight with anything if they're hungry enough. And I just happened to be on the lunch plate for this particular individual.

Temporarly grounded with fear and shock, I watch as the Grizzly faces me, its eyes shining as it fixes its stare. It then rears up on its back legs with its front arms down. It stands there for what seems like ages before opening its powerful jaws and letting out a roar that would even make the toughest of soldiers think twice. I'm not sure what did it in for me at that point. The yellowed teeth, the meat hook claws, or common sense. But sooner than I knew it, i had taken off as fast as I could.

I knew I couldn't outrun this magnificent beast, so I decided to make a run for the Gulch in hopes that I would find something to help me escape the predator hunting me down.

What I find is a hill that leads to higher ground above the snow. But the problem is that the hill has boulders jutting out of the ground and forming a misshapen wall. I would have to scale the wall to hopefully escape my death, but I don't know how fast the bear could climb. Or if it would be smart enough to find a way around. But at this point, I don't have a choice.

With the Grizzly at my heels, I jump onto the nearest rock and slowly make my way up. I am less than halfway up when I hear a scraping noise and look down to see the bear and its hundreds of pounds of hide haul itself onto a rock, and then another, and another. Its coming after me with surprising speed for something so large. As I am running from it, I spot a channel cut into the rocks after years of wear and tear. I use it and get to the top of the climb much faster then I would have before. Sitting at the edge of the channel is a rounded rock. It looks surprisingly artificial. As I am trying to figure out a way to stop or slow the pursuing beast (which is now climbing up the channel), It suddenly clicks in my mind what the rock is for.

It takes all of my strength to get it pushed into position, and even more of it to get it rolling. But once it does, the boulder quickly gains speed on the steep slope. I guess the bear hadn't seen it coming, because it lets out a pained yelp as the boulder slams straight into it and sends it tumbling down the rocky wall. I watch as it flies off of the slope and slams right down onto a sharp rock at the bottom and lays motionless. Just to make sure I'm safe, I wait for five minutes before climbing down to investigate the body.

Another thing that I had learned about these creatures is that they normally hibernate during the winter. So I am incredibly curious why, at the beginning of the year, a Grizzly Bear was out and trying to kill me.

I get my answer once I come up to the side of the massive beast. I grab it by its shoulder and manage to flip it over onto its other side. Where it had hit the rock, a massive wound opened. But through the glistening blood lay a mechanical set of gears, rods, and pumps. The heat radiating from the wound is incredible, almost to the point of boiling the blood. And that's when I realize that the bear is artificial. And that it had been placed here on purpose.

And I have to admit, that's when I laughed. I laughed for a good two minutes before regaining control over myself. I was overjoyed at that moment because the bear had the ONI seal tagged onto the inner side of its thigh. The seal is so small that I would never have noticed it if the bear was still alive. It made me incredibly happy to know that they were still looking out for us, that they didn't place us out here to swim or drown. That they would come looking if we didn't come back in time.

But I am forced to push my happiness down and refocus on joining the others after a few minutes of relief.

The rushing of the river reaches my ears after another thirty minutes of walking. By this time, the sun has started to go down and bathes the entire scene in a light orange glow. There's a line of Pine trees that rings the outer edges of the water before thinning out and giving way to the subtle banks. The River extends for forty feet before the other edge of the forest takes over. While the level of the water is shallow, the current rushes quickly and somewhat violently over the rocks and pebbles that lay on the riverbed.

And at the nearest banks of the river stands two Cadets dressed in the sealed black environmental suits. They are looking at the other side of the forest and talking so they don't notice me as I approach them. But once my footsteps reach them, they turn.

"Perish," Jackson says with a friendly nod. "Good to see you," Janet says with a relieved smile. "Do you know where the others are?" I ask them. Jackson pauses a moment before shaking his head. "Not really. I was the last off and saw where they were dropped off, at least. Melecia seems to be the furthest out and Charlie was dropped pretty close to you," he answers. Just then, someone breaks through the treeline holding a heavy hammer over his shoulder.

Charlie struts up to us and shows us the sledgehammer. "Look what I found," he says with a grin. One of the ends is coated in dried blood and specs of the same stuff are also splattered onto his chest and arms. I raise an eyebrow and look at the blood. Charlie looks confused for a second before letting out a mean laugh. "Just a little cat that tried to have me over for lunch," he says.

"Where did you get that?" Jackson asks, ignoring the blood. "Weapons cache. I have no doubt Melecia has found and marked at least fifty of them by now," Charlie says, setting down his weapon. "Since the others aren't here yet, we should set up camp and get settled in for the night. It's going to drop too low to be out wandering," Jackson says. As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. We'll freeze to death if we try and travel when the sun goes down. "How about we find a good camping spot and you two get something for the fire?" Jackson suggests. We don't find a problem with that so Charlie and I begin searching for wood dry enough to start a fire with.

As it turns out, the task is harder than we first anticipated. I end up scaling some Pine trees and going to the very top for dry needles and branches to snap off to start a fire with. Finding firewood to keep our fire going was an even harder task, but we managed to scrounge up enough to last us a few hours. We could only hope that someone would show up with something to help us find more warmth.

As the hours passed by, we sat around our campsite and basked in the warmth of the fire as the sun retreated further and further in the horizon until it vanished completely behind the mountains. We found out that once the sun reaches the mountain line, darkness can come on very suddenly. And that was the case for us. But the fire was hot enough to keep away the sharp edges of the night.

Some time during the dark hours, Jackson tells us to be quiet. He points out an un-natural glow in the trees. It bobs up and down ever so slightly and moves around eradically, as if held by something wanting to avoid being seen. "Perish and I should go check it out. You guys should stay behind and stay hidden," Jackson says quietly. And again, we find no fault with his plan.

Jackson tells me to go directly up to the light source while he flanks from the right. I obey and cautiously approach the glow.

It's only when I see the hastily strung together apparatus that I notice that we've been tricked. The lightsource is in fact a torch. But that torch had been stuck into a wooden holder and placed on a small rock that elevates the torch to make it look like someone is holding it. The holder is weak and thin so it is easily caught by the wind, giving the illusion of a weaving walk.

I am about to call out to Jackson when a heavy weight drops onto my shoulders. I can only last a few seconds, feebly swatting at my back, before I fall hard onto my chest. The weight on top of me digs a knee into my spine and immobilizes me. An arm pins my neck at the end and the unmistakable tip of a knife digs into the back of my skull. I squint my eyes shut in anticipation for the killing blow, but it never comes.

"And you're dead now," Melecia says, his voice right next to me ear. I think he's serious for just a split second before he lets out a laugh. He get off of me and offers me a hand up.

Once I'm up, I recognize the face of my teammate and I relax quite a bit. "Good to see you," Melecia says, embracing me quickly before letting go. "How did you find us?" I ask him. He points to the campsite where the glow of the fire casts long shadows on the snow and trees. "You're not making yourselves small targets. Pretty easy to find," he says. I then notice the leather shoulder and shin guards he has strapped onto himself. "What are those?" I ask him, pointing to the small pieces of armor. "There are caches all around the area. I've found a couple already, once there's daylight we can go back and get more resources," Melecia says. "Charlie, Janet, and Jackson are back at the camp. If you didn't already know," I say and begin walking back. I can see Jackson retreating from the shadows once we begin walking back. He beats us back and pretends like he had never left.

Once we get back, we all share stories of what happened during our walk back. Jackson questions me in great detail about my encounter with the bear and they all agree that it must have been sent by either Hokai or someone else testing us. As for Charlie, he tells us of his interesting event with his sledgehammer and the cat that he beat down.

He had just dropped in from the Pelican and it wasn't long before he wandered into a weapons cache. He found the sledgehammer just in time to avoid being pounced on by a Cougar-like animal. One thing led to another, and Charlie beat it to death. He even showed us the teeth he took as a trophy. He said when he returned to Galich, he would turn it into a necklace as a constant reminder of his first real kill.

When it came time to get some sleep, we assigned turns. Jackson was up first so we could sleep. His turn would last two hours before he turned it over to someone else.

While Charlie, Janet, and I slept near the fire, Melecia insisted on climbing into one of the trees. He said that he would be warm enough and disappeared for the night. I was too tired to really question him, so I fell asleep comfortable under the warmth of our campfire.


	6. Chapter 6

**0600, March 8th, 2534 [MILITARY CALENDAR/] Ortz System, Planet Mephis, Seinna Mountain Range**

The night goes by without a problem. We aren't ambushed or attacked, although no one else finds us. So we are forced to pack up and move out when the sun finally starts clawing its way over the horizon.

I've always found it to be a relief when the first signs of dawn appear in the dark night sky because I've never liked being in the dark for too long. You have to rely on too many senses other than your eyes. Of course I can easily use those senses to keep my team and I safe, but the daylight is always so refreshing.

While we are mostly packed up, Melecia still hasn't come down from his tree. I consider yelling at him but decide to hold off for a few more minutes. "Has anyone seen my sledgehammer?" Charlie asks loudly, looking around our campsite. Jackson looks over his shoulder and gives a slight shrug. "I thought you had it," the Cadet says. Charlie's frown deepens and he continues looking for his weapon.

As I am helping Janet pack up what little food we found, Jackson freezes in place. He had been dealing with our fire but suddenly stops moving. Noticing his behavior, I stiffen up. "What's wrong?" I ask him, coming to stand next to the kid. "Don't move," he says under his breath. His eyes are firmly fixed into the trees. Upon following his gaze, I nearly have a heart attack.

Six glowing sets of eyes stare back at us from the trees. They slink confidentaly from the cover of the trees once they are noticed. They are three feet tall and have long fur that is mostly gray in color. Their bushy tails are held out behind them as they approach. I can easily recognize these terrifying beasts as Wolves.

The biggest Wolf steps closer to us and raises its head up and bares its teeth. It emits a snarl that freezes my blood.

"We need to get behind them," Jackson says quickly, snapping me back to reality. He then gives me a length of rope with fair sized rocks tied to either end. "You go for the big one and get these around its legs. That'll confuse the others and we'll take the rest down," he explains. I take the makeshift hobble and slip from Jackson's side and into the trees. I watch to make sure I'm not noticed as I flank wide around the backs of the predators and keep them well within my sight as I set up to take out the leader of the pack.

Once I find myself well behind their backs, I set up my aim and let the hobble fly. It sails end over end, arcing gracefully, and finally finding its target. The rope wraps around the front and back legs of the unsuspecting pack leader and it goes down hard. The other five wolves seem to hesitate and look like they're about to run. But just as they start to turn, Melecia falls from the trees with a heavy weight over his head. He brings the sledgehammer down on the the furthest wolf and doesn't even hesitate before picking the weapon back up and slamming it into the skull of the second wolf. With three already down, the rest are easily outnumbered.

Janet and Charlie come out of the shadows with dagger-like weapons and attack the predators. Charlie jumps onto the back of the nearest wolf and puts it into a sort of choke hold. With the upper half of his body hanging over its neck, he slips from its back. But instead of hitting the ground, Charlie hangs just below the Wolf's fur. I watch as he positions the knife right under its throat. He doesn't stab, but waits until the Wolf can't hold its head up and faceplants into the snow, accidently driving the knife straight into its own neck. Charlie then rises off of the wolf and looks to examine the other enemies.

Each Wolf lays dead, precise wounds to their vital points. Jackson is panting and has a good amount of the predators blood on his sealed suit. He also holds a dagger which looks like it had broken. Charlie takes back his sledgehammer and executes the pack leader who had almost broken free of the hobble. After recovering for a few moments, Charlie speaks up. "We know they're not actual animals now," he says. Melecia digs his covered fingers into the gaping head wound of the first wolf and peels its skin back, revealing a metal skull which was built to mimic a real bone structure, even so that it broke like the real thing. "Remote controlled androids," Melecia says, grabbing a handful of snow and using it to clean the blood from his hands. "Are they from Hokai?" Janet asks, staring at the artificial bone. Melecia goes to the wolf with the blade still in its neck. He widens the wound and maneuvers the neck so we can all see it. He then points out a tiny emblem situated on one of the metal pieces. It's the black triangle for ONI. "A test from Hokai, I would guess," Jackson says, crossing his arms. Melecia once again cleans his hands before standing up. "And there will be more. We need to watch out," he says.

We find Parkson and Kia about twenty minutes later. They tell us that they got trapped in an avalanche near the rear of the gulch we were dropped in and had a hard time clearing it. From there, they started walking to the end of the range and found the river. They then found our camp and just followed our tracks until they caught up. Jackson was obviously relieved even though he barely showed it.

It wasn't until the end of the day that we finally found a way out of the mountains. We had heard chatter and sent two kids to check it out. They reported back that there was a small hanger with a few vehicles inside. But the hangar was guarded by five uniformed guards with guns. The guards didn't sound friendly so they suggested we find a way to steal our escape vehicles. There are two Warthogs, a Falcon, and four Mongooses.

We came up with a plan and quickly executed it.

I watch as Charlie goes out in the open with his sledgehammer in hand. Janet and I wait on the hangar's roof, ready to drop in when we need to. Jackson and his team are shadowed in the treeline, waiting to take out the men when Charlie draws them in.

"Bet you can't touch me," Charlie says loudly, grinning broadly. The men guarding the hangar suddenly look at him and their expressions sour. "Look, kid. It's been a long ass shift in this freezing cold weather. Why don't you just put the weapon down and give up?" one of the men says. Charlie shakes his head and grips the hammer tighter. "Why don't you come and get me?" He says.

One of the guards begins walking towards the cadet who waits until he's very close before taking back off into the forest. The man gives chase but is suddenly attacked by four black blurs. They beat him with rocks and boots until he stops moving. The other four guards go to check out the commotion but two of them never make it to the trees. Acting as one, Janet and I drop from the roof and land on the guard's backs. They drop from the sheer surprise of the attack and are knocked out once their heads are slammed into the ground by our hands.

The last two's cries are silenced quickly once the others descend on them and soon come back with two pistols in hand. "Live rounds," Jackson says with a tone of confusion. "It wouldn't be a challenge without such obstacles," Kia says. "Lets go home," I say and turn to the vehicles.

"We don't all want to get into one thing, just in case something goes wrong. Why don't you guys take the Warthog and we'll take the Mongooses?" I suggest. Blue team looks at each other for a moment, deciding. "Can you drive a Warthog?" 211 asks Jackson. "No, but Parkson can," Jackson says. "I've had a little practice," the cadet says. "Then its settled. Janet and I will be on one and Charlie and Melecia can be on the other," I say. Everyone agrees to it so we get moving.

While Blue team loads into the Warthog, Janet and I get the Mongoose working. Janet hops into the drivers seat and soon has the engine running. It roars to life and the headlights flick on, illuminating the scattered snowflakes that had started falling from the distant overhead clouds. I get onto the passengers seat behind her and hold on as she punches the gas. We take off out of the hangar and bounce over the dirt road. The others are right behind us as we lead the way down the road and through the fading light. The Mongoose's headlights expertly illuminate our surroundings as the dusk light fades to total darkness. But it isn't long until the road smooths out and we are on the paved road back home.

When we return, Jackson and I are told harshly to get dressed and meet in Hokai's office. And once we do, we are met by the same woman that talked to me several years ago. Dr. Waylen sits in Hokai's seat as he looks just slightly annoyed. She sits with her hands on the table and her intense gaze fixed on both me and Jackson. We stand at attention until Hokai irritably waves us down.

"How did you get back?" Hokai asks us for the hundreth time. "Sir, we acquired transportation, sir," both Jackson and I answer. We had ditched the Mongooses and Warthog before reaching Galich and had walked back to our bunks. It was night time and we wanted a little sleep, so we went undetected and got a few hours' shut-eye before our instructors found us. No one had found the vehicles yet, and that makes me somewhat proud.

Hokai's expression tells that he doesn't believe us and that he isn't happy. But Waylen just smiles at us. "Cadets 332 and 312, for returning to the base in under the allotted time, both of your teams will have the rest of the day off of your responsibilities," she says, her voice firm yet smooth. She watches us for a reaction, and gives a small smile when we show none. We wait to be dismissed, a little shocked by what she had just told us. "You are dismissed," Hokai growls with fire in his eyes. I'm not sure I've ever seen him this angry, even when Charlie almost escaped with all of those other cadets.

We salute both of them and leave the room. We each return to our separate barracks before allowing ourselves to feel the joy.

I just sit down on my bunk, letting the reality sink in. "So, what did he say?" Janet asks, standing next to me. "Waylen was there, and she gave us the day off of our excersizes," I say, grinning up at her. "Hell yeah!" Charlie cheers from his bunk. "What are we going to do?" Janet asks, her eyes shining.

While we come up with ideas on how to spend our day off, Melecia is silent. His eyes are distant as he thinks about something that is obviously bothering him. Finally, I turn to him and speak up. "What's wrong?"

Melecia snaps out of his thoughts and looks back at me. "Don't you think it's strange? Not a day in our two years of being here have we ever gotten a single day off. Now after getting back from a training excersize, we suddenly have a day off? Not even when that hurricane came by did we get even an hour off. And now suddenly we do? I don't like it," the Cadet says, shaking his head slowly. "While you're busy being skeptical, we're going to be outside having fun," Charlie says. He leaves with Janet and I stay behind, a little curious as to what Melecia's thinking.

I lean against the wall and look up at him. "What's on your mind?" I ask him. He glances down at me before leaning forwards off of his bunk. "This might just be another test. It seems that every day of our lives after leaving our families has been one big challenge. If I have learned anything from Hokai, it's that we don't get a break for anything. This decision might not be his, Perish. I don't think he controls us enitirely like we think he does," Melecia says. I ponder his words for a few minutes before shrugging. "But what can we do? If we're still being trained to protect the UNSC and her colonies, I don't care what they're doing. I want to become a soldier and fight. Don't you?" I say. I then leave without another word and join Charlie and Janet out by the obstacle course.

I spend the rest of the day thinking about what we had left behind. Even now I don't remember my family that well. I know that my mother wasn't around, and my father even more so. But I have completely forgotten what school I went to, what friends I had, where I lived. I've even forgotten my last name. But does any of that really matter anymore? Janet had brought up a good point a while ago. Even if we were to return to our old lives, what would it have for us? Children our age lay about watching TV and slacking off their chores while we're doing training excersizes and learning about advanced mathemetics. We already know how to instantly kill someone with a knife and dig fox holes, camp out unseen in the rain, and expertly shoot a gun. As strange as it sounds, I don't miss my old life at all. I want to become a soldier to explore new planets and fight for those who can't do it themselves.


	7. Chapter 7

**1400, July 3rd, 2542 [MILITARY CALENDAR]\ ORTZ system, Planet Mephis, Military Base Galich**

It seems like a life time ago that I was taken from my home on a distant planet. It is now a distant memory when Hokai first told us that only one team would graduate. It has been years since we were first dropped into the Sienna mountain range and left to find our own way out.

It has been ten years total since our training first started. And in those years, we have developed a burning hatred for our rivals, four other Cadets designated Blue Team by our instructors. But we have also developed as soldiers-in-training and I truly believe that we are finally ready to fight whatever threat will be shown to us. We still have yet to be told what we are training for and what program we have been subjected to. But during our time, Melecia has come up with some interesting ideas about what we're here for. One time, he had hacked into their databases and pulled whatever he could. He found something titled "FREEBIRD". Melecia couldn't get much from the files because they were heavily encrypted. But what he did get is that it is a certain project being conducted by Christian C. Waylen, the mysterious woman that would some times pay their little wing a visit. We know that she is trouble because every time she arrives, Hokai gets tense and ill tempered.

The training missions in the Sienna mountains, or the "drop and run missions", only got more violent each time we were dropped. Both of our teams quickly stopped working together and instead started working against each other. Melecia had once hacked the mechanized predators to specifically attack Blue team during one of the exercises.

As it turns out, the predators in the mountain range had been placed there as obstacles and controlled remotely by the soldiers back at Galich. The terrain would even be modified differently each time in the most subtle ways. A tree out of place, a gulch slightly deeper, the river a little wider, or even narrower, than the last time.

Hokai has been giving the vaguest of hints that our training has nearly come to an end. But we don't need words to understand that because everyone can feel it. The other instructors wear it plainly on their faces and with their actions.

But no one expected our final obstacle match to happen so suddenly. One morning, both of our teams are marched out of our barracks and to the obstacle course where we are lined up in two single file lines. Despite it being early in the morning, we are wide awake and easily alert. We had adjusted to the sudden wake-up calls years ago.

The sun is low in the sky and hasn't yet risen above the horizon. The dim early morning sky faintly illuminates the looming obstacle course ahead of us. The UNSC flag standing on the hill at the end waves weakly in the cool breeze of the summer air and is one of the many noises that reaches my ears. The base had just begun to wake up. The distant sound of a Warthog's engine roars in the distance as Hokai explains the rules we have heard so many times.

"At the sound of the whistle, you will start. I don't want to see anyone leaving their teammates behind. Do that and you will be immediately disqualified. Unless of course, the teammate falls off of the course. No matter what happens, one team _will_ be the victor," Hokai says. He turns to the other instructor and takes the man's weapon. It has a red line painted down its side and it's lethal rounds have been replaced with paintballs. "During this specific excersize, you will be given these weapons for the extent of the run. First team back wins."

Each member in both of our teams get a weapon, but Blue team's weapons have a blue streak instead of red. We test their weight before getting ready to take off.

Once Hokai blows the whistle, we are off like a shot. Jackson and his team are almost instantly ahead of us, having taken off a split second early. I bring up my weapon and let a few paintballs fly, trying to slow them down. Charlie does the same, firing one-handed as he sprints for the rope. He gets to it before me and nearly kicks me in the face as he begins his climb. I follow close behind him and the others behind me. Blue team is nearly on the other side of the tires as we are getting to them. We hop in and out before remembering to run on the sides. Melecia overpasses us again, having realized it sooner, and hits the rope bridge a second before the rest of us.

We waste no time in following the other team across one by one, making sure to not topple or twist the fragile rope. Once we are across, I am forced to duck as Jackson stops and opens fire, the paintballs splattering the ground around our boots. Melecia had gotten up onto the ropes but he falls straight to the ground when Jackson redirects his fire and splatters the rope, slicking it and causing Melecia to lose his grip. I glance down at the ground to see Melecia pulling himself up and making his way back to the starting line, shaking his head angrily.

With one teammate already down, I lead the others into the rope maze. Seeking revenge and balance, I quickly catch up to Jackson and pause to lash out with my weapon. It nearly catches his knuckles but the trainee pulls away last second and drops to the metal floor and fans out to the other end, rejoining his teammates.

Charlie passes me and sprints for 211 who was tailing behind the others. He hits the taller cadet full speed and mows him into the ground. Just as I am about to go over to help with the fight, Charlie slugs 211 in the jaw and then grabs him and shoves him over the edge where he falls to the ground, evening out the scores. Both of our teams fan out to separate sides of the platform, taking cover behind the barricades as we try to come up with an idea on how to take the flag.

"Janet, have any ideas?" I ask the other cadet who had been watching the other team. Before she can answer, Charlie interrupts by slamming his fist into his palm. "I say lets go for it. What can go wrong?" he says. Janet just shrugs and looks at the flag. "Sounds good," she says. "Alright. I'll go and get it, you guys give me covering fire," I say. I drop my weapon next to the others and survey the area before vaulting the barricade and hitting the dirt that is scattered around the clearing.

Gunfire rings out and paintballs fly through the sky, clearing both Jackson and I by mere inches. By the time we get to the top of the dirt mound, the ground is splattered with red and blue paint.

I manage to reach the flag seconds before Jackson and waste no time in ripping it from its stand. I lift it up and ram it right into Jackson's skull. He reels from the sudden attack and drops to his knees. He coughs and blood drips out of his mouth, painting his teeth an eerie crimson color. Before I can register what had just happened, I hear someone coming up behind me and whip around to see Parkson approaching quickly. I raise the pole again and whack the cadet in the side of the head, making him drop to the ground and fall down the hill. I am about to turn and run with the flag when Kia side-swipes me out of nowhere, wrapping her arms around me and bringing me to the ground. She seizes the pole from me with adrenaline induced rage and hits me in the sternum with it. It feels as if she had just shattered my bones. The hit leaves me breathless and nearly writhing.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Charlie come out of nowhere and grab Kia by her arms and wrench her off of her feet. She drops the flag which rolls down the hill, coming to a stop at the edge of the dirt. Charlie brings her down but the cadet manages to get her feet under her and launches my teammate off with surprising strength, making him almost slam into Janet who helps him to his feet. I once again go for the flag but Kia had gotten to it first. I pull against her grasp and plant my feet, but am forced to let go when Jackson grabs me by my shoulders and pulls me hard backwards. I whip around and have my fist up and hit Jackson hard. He stumbles back and I take the chance to retrieve the flag that had once again been dropped after Janet wrestled with Kia.

With rage flaring in my eyes, causing me to practically see red, I charge Jackson and slam the metal pole right into his throat. He falls to one knee, showing his weakness and submission to me. I let my rage take over and ram the end of the pole right into his chest. He falls to the ground and I follow up my attack with a boot to his face.

And just then, the fight is over in an instant. ODST's storm the platform, weapons drawn and loaded with lethal bullets. "On the ground, now!" one of them roars. Dust swirls as an emergency Falcon comes to hover a few feet over the platform. Medical personnel rappel down and come to the wounded cadet's aid. One of the soldiers shoves me to the ground and trains his weapon on me, screaming at me to not move. The other standing cadets are treated the same way.

"Multiple wounded, no casualties," One of the ODST's reports. Another one of the soldiers finds Jackson quickly after getting the others under control. "We've got a wounded over here!" the soldier calls.

The medical personnel rush over and begin issuing orders and applying medical bandages and medicine. It is only then do I see the damage I had caused to him. The side of his head is shaped at a strange angle and blood pours profusely from it. Biofoam is applied to the wound and holds the bone together and stops the bleeding. I watch in shock as a Pelican lands on the concrete below and Jackson is carefully handed down to the waiting personnel below and taken far away and out of the boundries of Galich Base.

As for the others, we are taken to the medical wing and treated for our injuries. But I am pulled aside by an instructor and lead once again into Hokai's office. But this time, it isn't to commend me.

"Why did you try to kill the other Cadet?" Hokai snarls, his rage barely contained. "Sir, I was trying to win," I answer honestly. Hokai balls his fists up and angrily takes a step forwards. "By _killing_ the other team?" he demands. "Yes sir," I answer hesitantly. Was that what we were really doing? Looking back and feeling the bruises and scrapes all across my body...yes. We really were trying to kill them. But I don't have any regrets. We weren't given any specific rules, only that we had to win. And we carried the orders out and adapted to the situation as we saw fit.

"Jiroku, please," A female voice says from the back of the room. Hokai exhales slowly and steps aside, revealing a petite woman in a civilian scientists clothing. Christian C. Waylen, the one that is in charge of the entire project. "None of you will be punished, Cadet-312. But that kind of behavior is highly unacceptable. We did not train you to harm your fellow cadets," she says, her eyes ice cold. But then she softens up and stands a little straighter. "As of today, your training is nearly complete. You have one final hurtle ahead of you and you will need all of the strength you have to pass it. Therefor, your training exercises will be ceased and you will have two weeks to ready yourselves. I expect you to pass along the information to both teams, Cadet-312. Dismissed."

I pause before saluting to Hokai and nodding to Waylen and leave the room briskly and head back to our barracks before letting the news sink in.

I was supposed to be checked out in the medical wing, but I dodge the other instructors and fall heavily into my bunk. Our training is done for. We won't have to do another drill or march ever again. Now the real thing starts. The very thing we have been waiting for is finally here. It's a lot to digest, and it makes my head spin. But the others assured me, when they returned, that everything would turn out okay. That what whatever is ahead, we would make it through. And that alone made me know that we are a family. And family never leaves each other behind. No matter what.


	8. Chapter 8

**0200, July 17th, 2542 [MILITARY CALENDAR]/ ORTZ system, Planet Mephis, inside Galich Base**

I think that the two weeks we have to wait have been the hardest thing we have ever done. Hokai told us that, to keep up our strength, we would be given larger meals with more relaxation times. For fourteen days we did what we wanted. Most of that time was spent on the obstacle course swimming in our thoughts. But the other half was spent in our barracks rooms just biding our time. We were told that we were simply waiting for Jackson to heal, but even Charlie believes that we were waiting for something else. And our suspicions are confirmed once the two weeks' rest is up.

We are lead to a single room filled with high-rise benches. The benches overlook a single holographic projector in the flat open space near the double doors at the base of the seats. Hokai was there waiting, flipping his knife in his hands, lost in his thoughts. Once we arrive he gestures to the seats and waits for us to sit. Naturally, each of our teams sit across from each other.

The door opens a moment later and Jackson steps through. He looks just as he did before I had put him in the hospital, except the right side of his skull is a little red and has a scar across it.

Hokai suddenly throws his combat knife at Jackson, making it fly so fast that it's a pale blur. Jackson reacts swiftly by twisting his torso and outstretching his arm. He catches the blade mid-flight and looks at it a second before lowering it. Hokai drops his arm with a rare smile. "I see you're as sharp as ever. Good," he says. Jackson steps forwards and tries to return the CPO's blade to him but he doesn't take it. "Think of it as my last gift to you."

I glare at Jackson as he takes his place next to his team, wishing that he had died in the hospital instead of returning.

Hokai steps to the right of the holographic projector and clasps his hands behind his back. "Today, you will learn about the true nature of your training. As some of you may have heard at one point, you are training to become 'Spartans'. Now, 'What are spartans?' you might be wondering," he says. A holographic depiction of a male human appears with his arms outstretched and feet together. Direction lines point to different points on the male's body. "Spartans are specially augmented soldiers, supersoldiers if you will. You will become far more intelligent, stronger, and faster than you are now."

As Hokai explains the augmentation process and the different things that will happen, each of us listen in silence. What he explains is unreal. The process itself and what we will become afterwards. No one expected it.

Melecia raises his hand and speaks up once Hokai pauses. "Sir, with an operation like this, there has to be risks," he says. "What are you not telling us?"

Hokai's expression falls and he gives a bitter smile. "You have always been the clever one. There is a lot I am not telling you, Cadet-314. But I am not permitted to give you that information just yet. But I assure you that all of this will be worth it if you survive," he says. Just before we are dismissed, I decide to voice a question I have been thinking of for a while. "When will the augmentation take place, sir?" I ask. "You will be shipped to an underground base in two days time," he answers. I can tell that he it not allowed to give too much information, so we settle with that answer.

The holographic projector snaps off and the doors unlock, letting all eight of us out.

We silently return to our barracks, stewing in silence for a long time before someone speaks up. "So this is it, huh?" Janet says. "The files I pulled...the augmentation...I had hoped they were wrong," Melecia says sorrowfully. "What was the survival rate?" I ask hesitantly. He shakes his head, tears welling up in his eyes, and falls back into his bed. "I hate all of this!" Melecia suddenly shouts, his voice filled with rage. "They shouldn't be doing this to us. It's unfair. Aren't we good enough already?" His fist slams into the wall as hard as he can and blood begins welling from his knuckles. He sits back down, ignoring the crimson liquid soaking into his sheets. "It's out of Hokai's control. Whatever comes next, we will just have to bear through," I say. "It had better be good, and it had better be worth it," Janet says. She disappears on top of her bunk and doesn't speak for a while afterwards.

Not much activity happens for the next two days. Both of our teams are too worried about what is coming to even interact with each other. We go through the motions like a programmed robot. Eating, exercising, sleeping, reading. It's a certain level of relief when we are awoken on the final day and marched out to two waiting Falcons, one for each team. And as we are loaded into the birds, I once again wonder why Hokai was nowhere to be seen. We hadn't seen him once during the last few days. And I wonder if we ever will again.

The early morning light sweeps over the terrain and paints a beautiful picture of Galich base. The squat buildings span for miles and the small traffic patrolls its perimeter with soldiers miling about. I wish we were down there, training, instead of being inside of this cold Falcon that somehow feels like a coffin.

We are allowed to sleep on the way to the secret facility, but I never do. I am awake for the entire six hour ride despite the fatigue that pulls at my eyes.

Once we finally touch down on a landing pad we set eyes on a very large metal door that opens into the mountainside. The paved road leading up from the side of the mountain curves into the door and leads deeper inside. The sun is high in the sky at this point, illuminating everything brilliantly.

Blue team touches down a minute after us and they leave the Falcon, looking scared and sleep deprived. But also brave and confident at the same time. Their courage gives us fuel and all four of us stand straighter as both teams fall into two lines. Surprisingly, Hokai is there waiting for us. He looks a hundred years older with the bags under his eyes from the sleep that he probably never got. His mouth is pulled into a tight line and his stance is a little looser than when we last saw him.

"Cadets, this is your last test. If you pass, you will become the best we can ever make of you and you will learn to fight your enemy and save humanity in ways no others could. So follow me. Your augmentation awaits," he says. He then turns sharply on his heel towards the door. It takes a second but the doors slowly opens and reveals a road that slopes steeply into the man-made tunnel.

We begin marching downwards with the other instructors at our heels and Hokai in the lead. The tunnel itself is set in a semi-circle shape with four lanes stretching across. A sidewalk follows the left and right sides of the road which is what we follow to avoid being crushed by the traffic that passes us by. Scorpions, Warthogs, Mongooses, and other types of transportation go to their destinations, paying the eight cadets no mind.

We reach our destination, a single door marked A-12. Inside, the room is tiny. It's the size of a decompression room aboard a spacebound vessel. Each of us step inside, staying in our single file lines. We turn around as Hokai stops just outside of the door, hands clasped behind his back. His usual stern expression is stoic and each of us can tell he's under some very serious emotional stress. "Cadets, you will wait here until further orders. Obey the techies when they call you and do what they say. I want a clean operation, don't mess this up," he says. Techies is a sort of slang word for "egghead" or, Scientist. I find it funny because Red team made up the word and it just sort of caught on.

He then straightens up, his stance becoming firmer. "Cadets, it's been an honor being your teacher. But from here on out, you're your own instructor. You will become great soldiers, you count on that. You are dismissed." His tone was much softer than he has ever used. And at that point, I know that all he has ever done is to make us better. But that just makes me hate what we went through all that much more. Hokai's been like a father to us, even through the hell he's put us through. And to see him in such pain because of _us_ , hurts me to the core. But to make it up to him, we have to survive whatever will come next.

The doors close, shutting Hokai out of our lives forever. Neither team ever sees him again and I never found out what happened to him.

It is hours until we are finally called upon. And in that time, no one moves a muscle or says anything. But the tension is visibly high.

When the scientists finally arrive, the front doors open and they call my team through first. I take one last glance over my shoulder at Blue team, at Jackson, and never look back. Little did I know at the time, that would be the last I ever saw of him for many years to come.

The room is large and long and equipped with many of the flat metal beds. But my team is secluded to just four of the end ones. Half circles of glass and steel hover by each end of the beds, presumably to monitor vital signs.

I am told to lay on the bed and put each of my arms and legs into the tight straps. I do so without complaint and watch as they tighten them down. My gaze is cast to the cieling and I barely even notice the needle going into my skin, and the anesthetics that are pumped into my veins. The last thing I see before I am pulled under is Melecia getting into his bed. And then its lights-out.


	9. Chapter 9

**1324, August 26th, 2542 [MILITARY CALENDAR]/ Ortz System, In orbit around Planet Mephis, Space Station Nocturn**

They said it would be painless, but they lied. I felt every cut, every incision, every pull, tug, and yank that they ever did to me. It was one nightmare that I couldn't wake up from. At that point, I wanted to die and I tried to many times, but something kept me alive. The pain would subside for a little while, but then come back full force. This went on for a countless amount of time before it finally stopped.

When I finally awoke, it was hell on earth for a long time. Everything still hurt. I nearly flattened the bed when I got the strength to get to my feet. I had moved faster than I originally meant to and sent the bed skidding across the room with surprising strength.

As it turned out, we had to completely relearn how to use our bodies. But it had been almost two months before we learned of Blue Team's fate when we gathered in our dress uniforms in a funeral procession.

Four coffins launch into space from the station's airlocks. As they slowly drift out of view and into the black void, I check my emotions and am surprised to feel a sense of regret. Regret that we had survived when they didn't. It's a reality check. A grim notice on how fragile life can be. I just wonder how much they suffered before they were gone...

Once the whole thing is finished, my team goes their separate ways aboard the station and I just stay and look outside of the vacuum sealing glass, wondering where we will go now. We're due for another week of recovery before moving onto the next phase of the operation. We haven't heard much, other than we'll be moved to the field afterwards.

I smell the man before he ever comes into earshot. His scent is strong of a strange cologne and a freshly kept uniform. His footsteps are quiet and precise, as if he was trying to stay unnoticed. The footsteps stop somewhere behind me which makes me tense up. "I know you're here, so please show yourself," I call out, not letting my gaze falter from the dead of space.

A short man walks up next to me with his arms at his sides. He flashes a false smile and holds out his hand. I stare at it for a moment, considering, before taking it and shaking it. The man's gaze lingers on the operation scars gouged into my arm for a moment before speaking. "I am Lee Arrsen, spokesman for the Office of Naval Intelligence. And I am here with a proposition, but we cannot speak here. If you are willing to listen, you will follow me back to my ship and we can talk safely there," the man says. To me, it's not a very convincing story. But then again he would not have been let on this space station if he was an enemy. And seeing as how he is telling me he's ONI, I have a certain obligation to listen. "Fine," I answer.

He leads me through the station and into the docking bay where we go through an airlock which cycles before letting us onto the Prowler. It's as ominous and dark on the inside as it is on the outside. "Have a seat, Spartan-312. I just need to get something," the man says, gesturing to a chair nearby and disappears deeper inside the ship. I glance down at it, but decide that I would prefer to stand. Sitting down leaves me at too big of a risk to attack.

The man returns with a holopad which he gives me. and silently watches as I turn it on. A file appears onscreen, quickly scrolling down before my eyes.

 **From:** Headhunter Division Leader

 **To:** Lee Arsenn

/start file/

The Headhunting division is a collection of specially selected soldiers to execute or apprehend highly wanted persons who have committed crimes that are punishable by death or imprisonment. These persons are considered highly dangerous and usually do not have much information on their whereabouts. They disappear off of the radar and normal resources cannot find them. Headhunters are specially trained to root them out from their hiding places and bring them to justice, no matter how far out of military controlled space they might be. You will be equipped with the best and newest weapons, armor, and equipment currently available to carry out your missions. However, your missions will be highly classified and no one outside of the project will ever be able to hear about it. You will serve on vessels that never were with men that never existed hunting people that disappear out of thin air.

/end file/

I study the file closely and finally hand the holopad back to the ONI agent. "I can not make a final decision without first speaking with the rest of my team. We will have your answer the next time we meet," I say and quickly leave the Prowler.

For the next few hours, the words spin around in my head. I had always pictured us charging into the frontlines with soldiers at our backs and bullets in the air. Not sneaking behind the lines in the shadows without a word. I'm not sure about it, and the secrecy disturbs me. So I do what I have always done with these situations, bring it up with the rest of my team.

Upon hearing it, Charlie frowns. "I don't like that idea. We're Spartans now, right? Aren't we supposed to be the juggernaughts of the military?" he says. "Not all Spartans are frontline grunts, Charlie. Some of the best mainly worked behind enemy lines in secrecy. Remember the ones who took down the insurrection leader?" Melecia asks, raising an eyebrow. "I like the idea. It sounds like you'll be on your own. Just you and whomever you are after," Janet says. She brings up a good point. I've never liked being in big crowds and I slip into the woodwork and disappear from sound and sight when I don't want to be noticed.

"How long did he say we had?" Melecia asks, looking at me. I rethink what we were talking about and just shrug my shoulders. "He didn't give us a time," I say. "I say we go for it. Our training is complete, we are almost soldiers now," Janet says. "Our first big decision should be this," Melecia agrees. I look to Charlie who just shrugs. "As long as I get to kill things, I'm fine with it," he says. I then nod and get to my feet. "I'll be back. Hopefully with good news."

I find the docked Prowler again and request entrance from the station's AI. He gives it to me and I enter the shadowy interior, a little nervous as to how quiet the ship is. It seems dead because there isn't much glow or life to it.

The ONI Agent appears out of one of the rooms and greets me with a smile. "Hello again, Spartan-312. Have you come to a decision?" he asks me. I nod and swallow before speaking. "We will join the Headhunters," I answer. The short man's smile broadens and he shakes my hand. "Welcome to the family, _Agent_ -312."


	10. Chapter 10

**1408, October 7th, 2542, [MILITARY CALENDAR/] Planet Octoku, Military Base Gammer**

After I leave the ONI Agent's Prowler, my team and I are almost instantly transferred onto a transportation vessel and put into cryo-stasis. We aren't told much, other than the Slipspace journey will take about a month and we will end up in the very far reaches of UNSC controlled space.

I've always enjoyed the dreamless slumber of cyro-stasis. Most people wake up feeling groggy and sluggish, but I have always awoken with renewed energy and a wired mind. The only thing I hate about the deep sleep is the preserving gunk you are ordered to swallow to keep your lungs working. It's always incredibly foul to regurgitate once you are thawed.

Once we get dressed we then load into an outbound pelican which drops out of the small vessel's hangar and a large planet with an orange atmosphere drifts into view. It has swirling dust storms that slowly make their way across the surface which also successfully obscures anything on its surface. It's the perfect planet to hide on if you don't want to be found.

The Pelican drops inside of the atmosphere and is instantly hit by a wall of fierce wind. The hull creaks and groans as the ship struggles to stay straight and I find myself having to control my breathing to keep from panicking.

The short flight ends quickly once we touch down onto level ground. The pilot alerts us that there's still a windstorm, so we brace ourselves as the ramp drops and kicks a wall of dust into our faces. I squint as I exit the bird and find several Marines waiting for us. "Go straight into the first door on your right. Sergeant Ferendez will show you to your quarters," one of the soldiers says, raising his voice to a shout to be heard over the roaring of the wind. We nod our confirmation and quickly rush inside.

Once the door closes, we are met by an aged Marine bearing the bars of a Sergeant. "Welcome to your new squat hole, Soldiers. Come with me and I'll get you settled into your bunks," Sergeant Ferendez says. We are led through the bowels of the base until we eventually come to our rooms set into the end of a hallway, shut away from everyone around a ninety degree corner. There are four frames aligned next to each other with a closed door bordering each. Our assigned Spartan numbers are inscribed onto the doors at eye-level. "Unlike boot, you each get your own rooms. Get settled in and Agent-801 will be here...eventually," the sergeant says and leaves us to our own devices.

Each of the rooms are identical to the other, but are very spacious. A full size bed sits at the far end of the room nestled into a corner. A night stand is placed to the left of the bed. The stand has two drawers dividing it in half and a small walk-in closet occupies the left wall. A single window sits high up on the rear wall and light filters through it and casts a bright glow on the bed.

After investigating my room, I find a card sitting on the night stand near the back left corner. It has a mug-shot of myself, my serial number, and name scrawled across the front. I have seen other soldiers with their own identification cards, and know that I will need one as well when the time comes.

Upon moving the ID card, I find a second card. It is a grey color and has "UNSC" stamped on the front. A barcode sits on its back and an expiration date is centered at the bottom right, right underneath my name. I recognize this as a credit card. I have watched Soldiers using them to buy commisary and other goodies. I make note to ask whomever "Agent-801" is as to where the shops are.

I sit down on my bed and decide to just wait for our escort to arrive. The bed is incredibly soft and I nearly fall asleep while waiting. It's a nice change from the beds at Galich.

There's a knock on my door and it opens a few seconds afterwards. A six foot soldier steps inside, wearing a black uniform. The ONI symbol sits on his left breast and his black hair stands in deliberate spikes, almost reminding me of a strange fruit I once saw. His skin is a tan color and is riddled with battle scars alongside the obvious surgical scars of his Spartan augmentation, though his are faded with age. He stands with the confidence that one normally sees with the hot-headed ODST's.

"Jesus," he says upon setting eyes on me. He is looking at the scars on my arms that had been revealed after I rolled up my sleeves. "I've seen a pincushion before, but this is just bad. What are they doing to you guys these days, letting rookies practice?"

I roll back down my sleeves and stand to greet him. "Cadet-" I start to say, but stop once I realize that years of training don't wear off easily. " _Agent_ -312 reporting for duty, sir." I snap a salute and watch him for a response. He cocks an eyebrow and waves me down. "Stow that crap, Agent. Here in the Headhunter division, we're all bugs in the mud. Not one soldier is higher than the other. We may hold rank over the other, but that doesn't mean shit when it comes to respect. So there will be no more of that 'sir' stuff, understand?" the Spartan says, his tone firm. His words take me aback and I struggle to find a response. "Yes-yes sir," I say automatically. The Spartan laughs at me once he sees my reaction. "I mean-" I start, but he cuts me off. "Don't worry about it. I'm Andron-801, your teammate and guide to the wonderful world that is Military base Gammer," he says. "The director said that I should show you around as soon as you got here, so get the rest of your team and follow me."

I gather up the other three soldiers and we follow Andron down the hallway and through the base. The base is very large and has many different buildings scattered throughout the grounds. The barracks building has the general housing and secondary cafeteria. It also holds a small commisary and an entertainment room which is buzzing with soldiers put on lockdown down because of the dust storm that rages outside. Andron tells us about the main building which is the communications hub. It holds the hangars, maintenance, and monitoring stations. He also tells us that Gammer base was made as more or less of an outpost during the early years of the Human-Covenant war. After the outpost served its purpose, ONI took it over and made it one of its many homes. A few years ago, a single team of Headhunters was relocated to this outpost as their headquarters. The orbiting station acts as a successful checkpoint for any and all returning ONI operative. I try to probe him for more information on the Headhunter team, but he tells me that it's not his place to tell me anything just yet.

After our brief tour, we meet with the Headhunter division leader where we are given our most unsettling news yet. Due to the secrecy and rural matter of the program, we will no longer be operating as a full team. She informs us that Red team has been disbanded and intergrated into Headhunting team seven, AKA the "Competitive Ashes". We will be operating alone to take down a single target far behind enemy lines. While the idea scares me, it also excites me. I will be able to work on my own time and _in_ my own way for once.

We are given our first targets and sent back to the barracks. We go over our contracts in the entertainment area around a table in the corner of the room. "Now what Nylen didn't tell you is for your first contract, you'll have someone with you to show you the ropes. And to pull your asses out of trouble if and when you get yourselves into it," Andron says. "You guys will meet your guides in hanger bay seven, Perish and I will be in bay eight. I wish you the best of luck with your assignments."

Andron suits me up with a full set of Marine BDU's and an MA5B Assault Rifle. The other ONI Agent has a set of Mjolnir Power Armor, which he tells me that I will eventually get after Nylen deems me worthy. Each Spartan headhunter gets a suit of Mjolnir power armor, unless they're kicked out of the program. But Agent-801 assures me that doesn't happy very often.

After suiting up, we take a Pelican up into the orbital station where we find his Prowler sitting in the docking bay already primed and ready to roll. It's a short process of pulling out of the bay and safely leaving the station. As soon as we're away, Andron activates the stealth unit and cloaks the ship in invisibility.

Once we enter the black void of slipspace, the Spartan informs me that the voyage will take a while so we will be put into cryo-stasis. The shipboard AI will take care of communications, awakening, and any other minor tasks.

The Prowler comes equipped with two cryo tubes which sit at the rear of the vehicle in a tiny cramped room. The tubes sit vertical to the ground instead of horizontal, which means that I have to lower myself into the tube instead of stepping inside. But once dressed and ready, I get into the tube and try to calm my excitement as the hatch closes and the temperature plummets and throws me into a dreamless sleep.

 **2006, November 1st, 2542 [MILITARY CALENDAR/] Above Planet Gororor**

Waking back up was uneventful, but just as uncomfortable as always. I was awoken after the shipboard AI tells me to meet Andron in the cockpit. After gearing back up, I make my way through the quiet ship and to the front.

Andron is in his Spartan armor in the pilot's seat staring out over a flora filled planet that fills the viewscreen. I drop myself into the co-pilot's seat and look over the controls before waiting for the Spartan below me to speak. "Carlos should be down there. Rusty woke me up and told me that he had detected a known insurrectionist ship on an inbound vector for the surface. He tracked its LZ and found him landing near a Jungle. He isn't actually inside yet, but we suspect he will be. We'll need to shuttle down and track him down for retrieval," Spartan-801 says. "In situations like these, an Agent needs to be prepared for any possible outcome, even a damn nuclear explosion, and needs to bring the right tools. So, Agent, what do you think we'll need for this op?"

I am silent for a moment while considering the odds. "Thermal vision will be useless...and there will be no big bodies of water. There isn't much we can bring other than our weapons," I say. Andron nods and gives me a DMR. "Replace this with your assault rifle. I don't want you accidentally bringing down a tree with spray fire," he says. I check and lock the single shot weapon before slinging it in place of the MA5B.

Andron escorts me down to the hanger and we use a Pelican to drop down into the planet's surface. I remember hearing from other soldiers that the pelican ride is the most tense, but I have to disagree. I find it to be the most _exciting_. The rough ride into the atmosphere rocks and shakes the hull of the bird, making it groan and screech. But once we leave the rough skies behind and set down onto even ground, then the chase begins.

Andron comes out gun-first, sweeping the area. We had set down right next to our convict's ship, which the Prowler's AI assured was empty. After a quick clear of the small shuttle, we solidified the AI's information. But we also found a map of the local area and some empty guns.

Upon inspection of the map, we found a specific area circled and compare it with our known maps. Andron marks the location on our HUD's and we begin to move out on our first lead, but just as Andron is about to cross the threshold, I see something that makes my heart jump into my throat.

Without thinking twice, I quickly grab Andron's shoulder and pull him back just in time to hear the bullet aimed for his head hit the hull and richochet back outside.

Andron ducks down and falls back further into the ship. I crouch next to the opening and spot movement amongst the treeline. I couldn't tell if it was human or not, but I fire on it anyways. I am rewarded a few moments later with a shout of pain, and silence once again. The shadow moves back further into the Jungle and I know that I had just hit our target while simultaneously saving Andron's life.

I call clear and 801 comes out of the shuttle, pointing his weapon. Once he clears it as well, he curses. "How the hell did you see it and I didn't?" He mutters. It isn't like he is accusing me, but questioning himself. I don't answer him but cautiously approach the treeline. My senses scream for me to be careful, and they are justified once I nearly step on a mine hastily placed in the overgrowth. "I've got a mine over here!" I call to Andron. The Spartan quickly comes over, his boots shaking the ground. His shadow is cast over the mine and makes its lights glow angrily. "Good eye," he says, patting me on the back. "Mark it for later."

We proceed with added caution to the marked area on the map, making sure to keep an eye out for more dangers and even the possibility of an ambush.

Fortunately, nothing else comes up as we near the marked location. But we do find ourselves standing in a very wide clearing. The trees had been chopped down and cleared, leaving an open area. But instead of an entire building waiting for us, a shack sits directly in the middle. It's metal walls are weather beaten and riddled with rust and vines. The ground looks like it had been neglected for years as the overgrowth had begun to take over and saplings had sprung up at the edges.

We don't pay attention to any of these details as we flank either side of the small building. Andron goes in first but quickly calls all clear after a short sweep. I lower my weapon and join him inside, and am confused by what I see.

There is absolutely nothing inside the shack. It's positively empty. There aren't even any shelves. It's like the little shack was thrown up but never inhabited. Though the empty look doesn't throw Spartan-801 off. He begins feverishly searching each panel, wall, and stud for something. I watch him, eyebrows furrowed. What could he possibly be looking for? There's nothing here.

Twelve minutes into his search, however, his work pays off. He gives a shout of victory as he reaches behind a loose wall panel and touches something. A moment later, the floor opens up and forces me to back off onto the growth outside.

Now inside of the shack is a set of stairs leading deep into the ground. They are lit by a dull red light which stretches the length of the flight. "There we are," Andron says, coming around the side of the shack to stand at the start of the stairs. He looks to me and gestures forwards. "After you."

I take my weapon out and keep it down as we go deeper into the earth. It becomes obviously colder as we pass a sort of threshold and come to a barred door. The bar is on the outside and is easily lifted. Once the door opens, we are greeted by an armory.

Crates of explosives, weapons, and all sorts of technology are stashed high on shelves and sitting on the ground. There is one long hallway filled with doorless openings which reveal even more armaments. "So this is what he was after," Andron says, sounding amazed.

I bust open a crate and find Covenant weapons. Their normally sleek look is interrupted by spiky modifications and a lead-to-plasma attachment. I take one out and test its weight. The grips had been modified for use by a human and a scope had been attached to the top. "What do we have here?" Andron says, watching me take out the weapon. He takes one out as well and examines it. He looks through the scope and aims it. He sets it down and busts open another crate, revealing round purple grenades. "I don't think these were captured," I say once I get a feeling in my gut. "He's working with the Covenant? How in the hell would that work?" Andron says.

"Lets just say we have a deal going on," A voice says from behind us. It echoes down the halls and reaches our ears quickly, making my heart jump into my throat. Our contract reveals himself with a rocket launcher nestled onto his shoulder. The SPNKR Launcher's twin tubes glares at us, daring us to make any sudden movements.

"Don't you remember what happens when you make a deal with the devil?" Andron says. He steps directly in front of me, ready to take the brunt of whatever the Insurrectionist may unload. "I'm not stupid. The Covenant are tricky, but I can outsmart them," the man says. Andron shakes his head and his tone drops. "You were on the Rubble when it was jetisoned from Madrigal. You witnessed their betrayal first hand. Why would you risk this?" the Spartan asks. The Insurrectionists expression twists into anger and it looks like he might pull the trigger and send us burning into hell. "Because I'm doing something for the human race that _you_ will never understand! The UNSC is holding us back because of their pride. If they would actually use the Covenant's weapons, then we would be years ahead technologically. Our ships would have shields by now, we would have invisibility units, we might even cure serious diseases! But they're blinded by their racial hate. So people like me have to go underground and fight behind their backs," he says. "I will admit that the UNSC can make a few changes, but siding with the Covenant is not one of them. They _glassed_ your home planet, Ranick. You have got to be mad about that. I know I would be," Andron says, his tone becoming a little more reasonable.

Ranick's hold on his weapon falters as tears of confusion and anger spring to his eyes. The barrel lowers, and that's when I decide to make my move.

Summoning all of the speed and strength I possibly can, I bolt past Andron's shadow and ram into the Insurrectionist. The Rocket Launcher goes flying out of his hands, but not before he pulls its trigger.

My ears are ringing from the sudden explosion from the rocket as I hold the Insurrectionist soldier down by grinding my knee into the back of his neck and holding his arms down with my own. Andron secures the weapon and kicks it away. I still can't hear him as he approaches me, pointing to the cieling. It takes me a moment to realize what he's pointing at. I look up to see a long crack running along the length of the hallway. Dirt falls from inside of it, raining down on both Ranick and I. As my hearing clears up, Andron's voice comes back to me and he is yelling frantically for us to get out of here.

"Perish! This place is coming down. We need to get out!" He yells, grabbing me by my shoulder. I snap out of the haze the explosion had put me in and hand the insurrectionist over to Andron who picks him up and slings him over his shoulder in a fireman's hold. I take lead and take the steps by two's. It isn't a second that we get out that the entire armory collapses. Dust billows out of the exit once the ceiling falls down, trapping the Insurrectionist's hard work inside. I have to shield my eyes as the pollution covers us momentarily.

I then look to Andron who has Ranick on the floor and is handcuffing him and hogtying his legs together. The Insurrectionist looks broken and defeated and all of the fight has drained out of him, leaving him nearly lifeless. Once the insurrectionist is secure, Andron turns to me. "You alright?" he asks, looking me over. My armor is covered in dust and the chestpiece is charred from the proximity of the rocket's explosion. The ringing in my ears had ceased, leaving me buzzed on adrenaline. I take a breath to calm myself before answering his question. "Do you go through this every time you go out?"

Spartan-801 laughs and nods his head. "This was one of my easier contracts," he says. He then picks up Ranick and hefts him over his shoulder. "We've still got a ways to go. Lets get out of here before _something else_ happens."

The walk back to our Pelican is uneventful. Andron tells me to mark the other ship for when the eggheads come to investigate. We load back into our Pelican and leave the alien planet behind.

It's a relief when we step foot back into the Prowler. It's only when Ranick is placed into a holding cell that the exhaustion from today's events hit me like a brick. I barely have the energy to strip my armor, redress, and fall into bed. The shipboard AI had told us that we wouldn't be making the trip back frozen because of the heavy risk of leaving our prisoner awake by himself. I'm fine with that because It will give me some time to recharge naturally and spend some time alone.

As we are flying through slip-space, I have time to reflect on my very first mission. What would have happened if I didn't see Ranick before he shot Andron? Would he have killed me as well? What if I hadn't spotted that mine? What if we were caught when the armory collapsed?

Obviously Andron knows what is going on inside my head because at one point he comes into my room and sits across from me. "I know that look, Perish. And I'll let you know now that the kind of thinking you're doing will get you nowhere. Take it from someone who knows what they're talking about," the Spartan says.

"There were too many variables on that mission. Too many things could have gone wrong," I say, gaze drifting to the far wall. But then I focus on Andron's battle-scarred face. "How can I make those variables go away?" It's a real question, one that I need answered. If there are too many variables, then too many things could go wrong. And I don't want to get killed because of it.

"The only thing you can do is be cautious. Keep an eye open, and listen," Spartan-801 says. "And pray to whoever is listening that you'll pull your ass out of the ditch."

I can't help but smile and nod my gratitude. "I'll try to remember that...thanks," I say. With that, Andron leaves. I mull over what he said for a long time, so long that I even skip our dinner meal and Andron has to pull me out and force me to eat.

But if what he says is true, than what I'm getting myself into with the Headhunters program is going to be dangerous. I'll be alone behind enemy lines hunting fugitives who don't want to be found. All of a sudden, the enthusiasm I once had diminishes and is replaced by a somber reality that I could easily be killed and my body would never be found. It sheds light on the program itself. At first I thought that you would go in, take down your target, and come home. But now I know that it will take time, skills, and a whole helluva lot of luck to come out alive.

It isn't long after we return that the rest of my team does as well. Charlie has several dressings on his head and arms with blood soaking through them. Janet looks exhausted, and Melecia looks beaten. We eat a nice hot meal while we trade stories from our first missions.

Charlie had gone after a rogue ODST that was listed as AWOL only a week before. Him and his mentor, Carrie-717, tracked him for days before finally pinning him down on an old oil rig. The ensuing fight was long and bloody. Their target almost killed Carrie but Charlie charged forwards and knocked the ODST off of the rig and into the sea below, effectively killing him. Fortunately for Charlie, their target was listed as "dead or alive" so he didn't get reprimanded by the director. Charlie showed us the battle recordings and even I was impressed with the fight and how it ended. But this just assures me that Charlie truly is a brute.

Janet had to chase her target for a full week. Every time they got close, their contract would somehow slip away for another day. They finally pinned him down and took him in. She didn't have to fight because their person gave up when he was trapped. But it still sounded hard, especially when she told us their bird was almost knocked out of the sky by a hurricane they flew into.

Melecia is silent as he slides over his battle recording. He doesn't look at them, and I can see him visibally shaking as the holographic recording plays out.

The footage is slow at first with chatter between Melecia and the Mentor. They come to a camp which they sneak up on. There are civilians lined up and a firing squad standing in front of them. The city behind them is burning, and the civilians are crying. Melecia looks away at the last second as the civilians are executed and the shots echo for miles. If that wasn't bad enough, one of the insurrectionists pulls a woman out of a nearby building. He has her roughly by the arm and is dragging her towards the firing line. But what is worse is when Melecia zooms in through his binoculars and sees the tiny bundle wrapped in her arms. A baby. Melecia watches in shock as she is forced to kneel before the guns. Melecia's mentor has to hold him down and keep him quiet as their weapons are trained on both of the defenceless civilians. While Melecia closes his eyes against the horrific scene before him, the camera feed still rolls and shows both mother and baby fall to the pavement, riddled with bullets.

The footage freezes and Janet gently turns it off. "Now you see what we are dealing with," an accented voice says upon approaching us. I recognize the face from Melecia's footage feed, Yanaro-811, his mentor. "Insurrectionists don't have a merciful bone in their body. Children, woman, cripples, no one is safe in their eyes. This is why we do what we do, to stop this from happening," he says. Janet nods vigouresly and stands up. "You can count me in. I'm going to continue fighting for what's right," she says, fire in her calm and gentle eyes. Charlie stands up as well with a grin. "If it means being able to kick more ass, then I am in as well," he says.

I stay seated but nod my head. "There are some sick people out there, and our job is to keep them from carrying out with their deeds."

I then look to Melecia who just spreads his hands. "What can I say? I'll stay in."

Yanaro gives a warm smile and folds his arms. "Well I will tell Commander Nylen that you will all be staying within her program. But since you are, you will be having mentors accompany you for the next two contracts. It is a safety thing, of course. We still have full trust in your abilities to fight after what you have all just gone through," the Spartan says.

That night when we all finally go to bed, I find myself pacing around the room. The dust storm outside whips at the window and emits an occasional screeching noise. I decide to go over Andron's field report that he had given to me a few hours ago. He called it an outright success with very few complications. I guess he's right. But I can't help but think we could have done it better. My mind begins to wander and I think about having my own set of the Mjolnir power armor. During our flight back to Glammer base, Andron told me all about the power armor and how it works. He also told me that only Spartans can wear it because the thought-to-action movements are too fast and have killed their un-augmented users before. That kind of makes me feel prouder to be a Spartan, to know that we were made special above all others.

I finally fall asleep after a few hours and dream of power armor, enemies, and glorious victories.


	11. Chapter 11

**0202, January 11th, 2543 [MILITARY CALENDAR/] Inner Colony Hotor, Huntington Industries Headquarters**

Silence rings inside of my ears as I take the right flank beside my partner, a figure cloaked entirely in black. I raise a fist and count down. Andron readjusts himself and keeps the flashbang grenade primed in his hand.

Upon reaching the final number, I rise from my position and kick the door in. Andron wastes no time in throwing the grenade inside. We both shield our eyes as a brilliant flash of lightning illuminates the darkened space, making the occupants inside cry out in surprise.

I storm in first and quickly mark twelve armed guards with our target cowering in the rear behind a desk. I target six of the twelve and give them a single shot, each directly to the head. The guards fall to the ground, dead, and the office room is left with only one occupant.

"Clear!" I call once doing a quick sweep revealing no further threats. "Clear," Andron confirms after doing the same. The hulking Spartan approaches the desk and doesn't hesitate to grab it and send it skidding across the room, revealing our contract.

I see the weapon before the man even has a chance to think about firing it. Having been to the right of the other Spartan, I was able to react quickly and descend upon the Insurrectionist and get the gun before he harmed either one of us.

"Quit your bitchin'," Andron says as I hold our contract to the ground and wrench the weapon from his hands. Bones crack and poke through his skin as I free the gun and send it clattering across the floor. "You bastards! Do you even know who I am?!" the man screeches. Andron chuckles and crouches down in front of him. "Nezquill Koll. Civilian ID number 0892-NK, CEO of Huntington Industries. Wanted for insurrectionist actions against UNSC personnel and the illegal distribution of military weapons," the Spartan says, repeating the information on his dossier. "We know exactly who you are."

Andron has always been better at remembering the fine information on our targets. I see no real point in it, but don't really mind when he starts spewing it for the contract to hear. It's always worth the reaction.

"Once your superiors hear about this, then you'll regret it!" He snaps, spitting at us in the cold dark air of the windowless room. I wrench him to his feet and cuff his wrists. "I am sure our superiors will not know what you are talking about," I say innocently. "As far as they know, you were arrested by local police forces and found guilty after trial," Andron adds with a light tone. Nezquill begins trying to struggle in my grasp, but his efforts are futile as I hold tightly onto him. "You can't do this! I am a prominent business man, I have rights!" he yells. We don't respond to him as we descend the building and reach the ground level.

A very large number of policemen are surrounding the scene and keeping the civilians at bay. We stay well away from their prying eyes and cameras as we hand off the man to them. "Thank you for ending this peacefully," the head sergeant says upon approaching us. "Mister Koll here has told us that he doesn't want to visit jail, so you can send him straight to prison," Anrdon says. "Jubanen prison will find that he is going to be incarcerated for a long time, Sergeant. So make it pretty for him."

A faint smile pulls at the Sergeant's sharp features and he nods and he has his officers take the former CEO out into the public eye. But just as he is about to turn away, Andron grabs his shoulder. "Oh, one thing, just remember that we were never here."

It holds a sense of victory to watch your contract being detained and taken away to the place they're supposed to be in. And It's even better when the whole event draws a crowd that presses in like a swarm of insects following the action. But we're fortunately not part of it all as we leave to the rear of the building and walk back to our shuttle which sits inside of the docking area near the police station. The shuttle rests nestled in the far corner of the bay and looks as if it would melt into the shadows if allowed to.

The planetary sensors intentionally let the ship slip past undetected and dock with an invisible dot just outside of the planet's orbit. The dot disappears off of the radar just as fast as it had appeared.

"Welcome back, Headhunters. By the reports on planetwide news, I can assume that it went well," Procarron, the shipboard AI, says as we leave the shuttle and proceed deeper into the Prowler. Andron frowns as he examines a new dent on his armor from one of the guards having hit him with his gun. "For the most part," the Spartan replies vaguely.

The ride home takes only a week and the dusty skies are welcoming after being gone for so long. The rest of my team had taken on contracts at about the same time as I had and we were once again the first ones back. It was also strange knowing that the next contract I take on would be without a mentor.

It was a quiet few days that I had to relax before being called to the directors office in the main building. And then it was a scary one. I have never been called to her office before. The other Headhunters say it isn't normally bad when you're called, but it still makes me nervous.

The air seems to become noticeably colder the closer to her office I get. The activity through the halls begins to cease and everything is quiet once the door chime alerts the woman to my presence.

A moment later, I am let through and revealed to a very clean looking office with a dark metal desk sitting in front of a set of monitors and communication devices.

Director Nylen sits at a mobile chair that is firmly planted behind the desk. Her blond hair flows freely around the left side of her shoulder and sits just below the neckline of her shirt. Despite her beautiful appearance, the rough exterior of her soldier life shows through by way of an old scar just barely missing her right eye and a crooked nose which bends awkwardly to the left.

She gestures for me to sit down and I do so. I then keep my hands in my lap as I wait for her to speak.

"I must congratulate you for your work with Mr. Koll. Agent-801 told me in a report that you performed a text book takedown, and he tells me that you are ready to take your next one alone," she says. That surprises me but I don't allow myself the emotions behind the news. "Thank you, ma'am," I respond.

Her friendly tone drops and she tents her hands over the desk. "But I did not call you here commend you. As you know, Mr. Koll was scheduled to be transferred to an off-world prison. Reports from several hours ago tell us that the transport ship _Correspondence_ has disappeared from radar and is not answering any means of contact. A local outpost in sector 864 reported sightings of the transportation ship en route to Hiyao III, a well known smugglers planet. We have reason to believe that it is their intention to smuggle Mr. Koll into Insurrectionist hands and away from our reach," Nylen says and straightens up, a flash of emotions playing across her face. "This is where you come in, Agent-312. I have decided it is time for you to receive your own set of Mjolnir power armor to take on your next contract."

She then stops and waits for a reaction on my part, but is only rewarded with a stoic stare. "Thank you, ma'am. I will put it to good use," I say. It's obvious that I am incredibly excited, but I refuse to show it to the director. She then nods and gestures towards the door. "Agent-801 will meet you in the hangar bay where you will take a Warthog to the planetside development facility which is a few hours away. You will be deployed directly from the facility to the orbiting station where you will find a surprise waiting for you," Nylen says. Her expression falls once again upon relaying the last bit of news. "I regret to inform that you will not be given much training with your power armor because of the urgency of this mission. But I have confidence that you will do good, Agent. Dismissed."

I snap a salute and leave the room with thoughts and emotions swirling around in my mind. I move through the base and find my ride waiting for me in the hangar bay. Among a dozen other Warthogs sits a black reinforced beast. It's a special vehicle that ONI modified to have thicker armor and explosive rounds for the mounted chaingun. The ONI Warthog is something of a beauty.

Andron appears from the passenger side. He is wearing his ONI sanctioned uniform which compliments his tanned skin. A standard MA6 Magnum is strapped to his hip and a combat blade sits snugly on his thigh. His dark hair is tousled after a long night of good sleep. "How's my favorite Beetle?" the Spartan asks with a grin.

Andron had found and read a detailed, and highly classified, report of the ten years I had trained in Project Freebird and found the report of when I crawled under my bed and had to be dragged out by an instructor. Since then, he has nicknamed me "Beetle". I don't find offence to it and just ignore him when he begins rattling on about the incident.

"Adequate. Is the Warthog ready?" I ask. "Someone's feeling awfully stiff today. Swallow a board, did you?" Andron asks, cocking an eyebrow. I don't answer, but jump into the passenger's seat. I smooth out my uniform and think about doing the same to my hair, but check the nervous habbit and keep my hands stationary. Spartan-801 grabs the side of the Warthog and jumps into the driver's seat, making sure his boots clear the edge. After a short check of the vehicle's systems, he starts up the engine. The Warthog comes alive with a mighty roar and he rolls it out of the hanger and out onto the open tarmac.

After passing a security checkpoint, we leave behind the high walls of the base and begin following a long road straight into the outerlaying mountains. Dirt kicks up in our wake after last night's dust storm had grounded all incoming and outgoing traffic, making us the first people to use the road since then.

The long trip gives me a little time to relax and doze off, the vibrations from the Warthog's tires lulling me into a light sleep.

We pass through a beautiful mountain range with two gigantic hills towering over us on both sides. The road winds sickingly around steep drop-offs and hairpin turns before finally straightening out after several miles. And as we come around a final sharp turn, our destinations hits us in the face.

One moment it wasn't there, not even a whisper, and all of a sudden a close clutter of buildings rises from behind a hill. The buildings are ringed with tall razor-wire and a good number of guards patrolling the perimeter. Hornets buzz overhead and glare down at us as we approach the base. The roar of our engines alerts _someone_ and we are soon greeted by a not-so-friendly soldier in a Warthog who quickly stops us. His gunner lazily aims the mounted LAAG at us, but I ignore the security measure and focus on the driver who had gotten out and is approaching us.

"This is a restricted area. State your business," the Soldier says in a tight tone. "We were sent from Gammer," Andron says vaguely. That's when the man spots the ONI emblems patched onto our uniforms. He visibly stiffens up and waves us forwards without another word.

I am used to these reactions. They stare out of the corner of their eyes, whisper quietly, and shoot nasty looks at us. I am told it's because we work for ONI, and I'm beginning to understand people don't like the Office of Naval Intelligence very much. But no matter. I work for them and have no problems with them, so I can easily stand the looks.

It seems that Andron knows where he's going because he winds through the tightly bound buildings where he finally pulls up to a squat building with only a single door.

As soon as we set foot inside, we are asked to remove any metal we have on us for a metal detector. Andron shakes his head and says that we're from ONI. The guard's face flushes and he only waves us through without checking us.

"What was that about?" I quietly ask Andron as we step into a sort of service elevator and begin descending down a metal shaft. "Being an ONI Agent has its advantages," he says with a smile, keeping his eyes focused on the walls in front of us.

It seems like we have fallen miles before the elevator comes to a slow stop and lets us out. The room at first was dark, but powerful lights snap on overhead to reveal a large cavern-type chamber.

At one end of the chamber are a series of buildings that crawl from the ground to the ceiling. From there on is a terrain of hills and cliffs with a small stream bubbling through the middle. A nearby obstacle course reminds me of the days before I was put into Freebird. Live fire exercises, razor wire mud crawls, and jungle gyms.

But what catches my eye is a plexigass manequin standing free in a clearing. A group of scientists surround it and part as we approach. But sitting on the mannequin is a suit of dark green armor and a matte undersuit.

"There she is, looking just as fresh and green as when I saw my own," Andron says, hands on his hips. He then steps back as the head Scientist approaches me and tells me that I will be fitted with the armor, and to be absolutely still.

Fifteen minutes later, a suit of air sits around my body, encasing me in protective metal. Then the helmet is placed on my head. The HUD comes online and I am seeing the world through a crisp filter. IFF tags light up over the heads of each scientist, but when I look at Andron it simply puts a question mark over him. The suit responds to my neural implant and translates my thoughts to actions. It remarks Andron with his Spartan number and name.

After a short series of tests, I am ready for the obstacle course. Andron leads me over to it and my gaze scans the course before spotting a small lip on the side. It bypasses each of the challenges by leading just behind them. I hit the magnification on my visor and everything jumps forwards. I then spot Marines in some of the livefire slots taking the safeties off of their weapons. "This won't be long," I say, using the helmet's speakers. My voice comes out much deeper and more intimidating than I know I sound like.

I jump up onto the lip and crouch down, melting into the shadows. I can hear the scientists nearby gasp in surprise as I disappear from sight.

Upon nearing the automated miniguns, I come up from behind and snap their motors. Their barrels slope to the ground and I quickly make my way behind them and find the Marines watching through their slits. None of them expect, or even see, the next attack that takes them all out without a word uttered or a shot fired. I don't kill them but I do break a few bones, and may have put one of them into a coma.

After a short walk, I come back to where I started and give one of the Marine's Magnums to the head scientist who just stares at me in shock. "What is next, sir?" I ask. "Um...your Prowler," he mumbles. He then snaps out of it and nods towards the largest expanse of the chamber. The cieling opens up into a vast tunnel that rises upwards into darkness. And indeed, as we near the clearing, a Prowler sits in the middle. Its sleek build and blackened hull reminds me of a shadow waiting to pounce. Andron says its reminds him of my fighting style.

"This is where we part, Beetle. I've got my own stuff to do, but you enjoy your new toy," he says with a smile. "And between you and me, I hope you kill that bastard. He's caused us enough trouble anyways."

With that parting comment, he leaves back up the elevator. I enter the Prowler, and go into the cockpit where a shipboard AI greets me. Its avatar projects from a small pedestal on the left side of the consoles. He emits a deep purple glow and has his hands clasped behind his back. "Greetings, Agent-312. I am Areolen, your shipboard Artificial Intelligence. I am here to serve wherever you may go and..." the AI pauses and gives a sort of malicious grin. "...whomever you may kill."

I drop into the pilot's seat and begin the start-up sequence. "Pleasure to meet you, Areolen," I say. I watch the consoles light up and listen to the deep rumble of the engines as they come online. "If you need to, I can fragment myself and accompany you inside of your armor," the AI says as I set a path for orbit. "You're a smart AI?" I ask, looking at the avatar. He smiles and his avatar flashes, its glow partially illuminating the controls. "You can say that," he says.

The prowler begins slowly rising out of the chamber. The walls of the tunnel obstruct my view until the cieling suddenly opens up, flooding my view with light. Dust falls down onto the nose of the ship and settles momentarily before dropping away as I clear the tunnel and rise into the sky.

The ground falls away once the ship picks up speed, and the atmosphere slowly fades away upon leaving the planet. "Activating stealth drives," Areolen says. The viewscreen shimmers for a moment then steadies. I know we are now invisible to both sight, sound, and radar. I leave the cockpit once we're on a safe path and tour my ship.

Originally equipped to hold ninety people, my specific Prowler has been downgraded to be flown by a single person. There is a mess hall of sorts, a single bedroom, and multiple other rooms that had been converted into storage. There is a gym with a plethora of training equipment, and an armory. The armory is what interests me most because it holds a lot of weapons and technology that I have never seen before.

I decide to go over what I may need for my next mission and find that I will be going in without much weighing me down.

"ETA to Smugglers planet: three hours," Areolen announces after the Prowler enters slipspace. "Alert me when we arrive," I tell the AI. I then retreat to my quarters to wait out the trip and mentally prepare for whatever may happen next.


	12. Chapter 12

**0330, January 15th, 2543 [MILITARY CALENDAR/] Sugo System, known Smugglers planet**

Instead of the calm wake-up of Areolen's voice, I am violently thrown from my bed and onto the floor. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep, so it's quite a shock when I find myself face-down on the ground.

I retrieve my helmet and snap it into place as I rush for the cockpit. A shudder passes through the ship's body as another heavy hit from somewhere outside rocks the hull. "Areolen, give me a report," I say upon dropping into the pilot's seat. "Multiple contacts on all sides. Hull integrity is holding," the AI reports calmly. I ready the weapons and find my first target. The guns face the vehicle and blow it to shreds.

"Reading twelve more targets," Areolen says, his eyes darting back and forth as he works with the ship's systems.

I guide the Prowler into a series of tumbles and rolls as the nearby enemy frigate opens fire with its own much heavier weapons. "I'm bringing her down," I say and enter a trajectory for the planet below us. We had exited slipspace practically on top of the floating marble which works to my advantage.

The space fairing vehicles cannot follow me into the atmosphere, but they do not send chase vehicles either. This worries me, but I turn my attention to other details rather than worry about it. "How long have we been out?" I ask the AI who's eyes have stopped moving and calmly watch me. "Six minutes. The main frigate attempted to open a communications channel but I declined, and that is when they opened fire," Areolen replies. "Damn it. They were waiting for us," I curse. "Who gave our position away?"

"It is safe to say that the element of surprise has been lost," Areolen says, ignoring my question. I shake my head and descend further into the planet, hoping that I can buy myself enough time to locate the ex-CEO before he's shipped off-world.

Luck breaks through when I locate Koll's IFF tag assigned to his neural implant. The location reads fifteen miles from my current location, and at a high altitude. Either he is in the air, or on a mountain. I depart from my parked location hoping for the latter of the two.

My luck holds once I pinpoint Koll to be on a mountain inside of a hastily built structure overlooking the outerlaying range. The problem is that any path up to the structure is going to be heavily guarded and may even have snipers watching the hill from other vantage points. I prepare for these eventualities by bringing a camofluage unit, thermal imaging, and silenced weapons. I plan to kill everyone silently and avoid raising the alarm for as long as possible. Areolen has promised me that if Koll tries to take off, he will use the Prowler's defences to take their ship down in the most painful way possible. I love that AI.

I start off at the base of the mountain and am rewarded with an animal trail leading up through the trees and tall-grass. It winds crazily through the bush and over rocks. But the animals that had blazed it clearly knew what they were doing, because before long I find myself right behind the enemy outpost. The trail was so accurate that I had almost overshot my target.

After running a short recon of the base, I find a humble amount of Insurrectionist guards creating a vague perimeter with vehicles and utility objects. I still don't know if there are any Snipers on the neighboring hills, so I decide to keep myself hidden in the treeline for as long as possible. I am quickly rewarded for my patience once the fat Ex-CEO appears from one of the tents. He still sports the black tuxedo-and-tie get-up, but he looks much more tired than when we first apprehended him in his headquarters.

I decide to make my move before my window of opportunity disappears. Before leaving the treeline, I activate the camoflauge unit and watch my arms shimmer out of sight. I then leave the safety of the grass with my combat knife in hand. The first guard meets his silent end as he is taking a bathroom break behind the building. The second guard feels the sharp sting of the blade shortly after.

One-by-one the guards fall. None of them see or hear their attacker coming. I am never detected and am proud to say that I never got a speck of blood on my armor. I then appear to the Ex-CEO with a blood stained knife in its sheath and a silenced DMR aimed at his fat head.

"By order of the Office of Naval Intelligence, you are to return with me to UNSC controlled space and taken to a transportation vessel to be shipped to a secure prison," I tell him, my voice even and cold. It sounds much deeper coming through the filters in my helmet. The man begins to pull a gun but I never let him touch the handle. I fire once, twice, and then a final third time. Each bullet finds their mark and the man falls to the ground, screaming. I had shot him in non-lethal points. But he had no doubt lost a few fingers from the first bullet.

I take a set of restraints I had brought with me and snap them around his wrists. I seriously doubt I _needed_ to do that, but it felt good to do it. I am about to throw him over my shoulder when the click of a hammer makes my blood turn cold.

"Not so fast, _Spartan_ ," the voice says. I slowly stand up and turn my head to look at my attacker. She wears a strange haircut that falls lazily to her shoulders. She also wears a leather coat with military-type pants. Pouches, straps, and packs adorn her waist and legs. She reminds me of a sort of militia commando.

"You killed my men and expect me to just let you capture this fat sonuvabitch? Not happening. I can't say I'm going to give you a second chance. But I am going to dance on your corpse," the Commando says coldly. "He's useless to you now. He's a rich man without money," I say, trying to reason with her. "I couldn't care less. As long as I'm getting payed, I'm good," she says with a vicious grin.

Andron told me something during our last contract. " _You only have to worry about killing someone if they don't break the three rules of Competitive Ashes Headhunting. One; they're an innocent bystander. Two; They've committed some kind of monstrosity, such as a murder, that violates rule one. And three; they work for money._ " And she had just given me reason to end her life.

I don't say anything to her, I don't give any hint as to what I'm planning. The attack comes out of nowhere and before the mercenary can even blink, her gun is out of her hands and she's missing half of her head. The cowering Ex-CEO just behind me whimpers once the body hits the ground. I had actually reacted a little faster than I had meant to and the attack is much more violent than I had planned.

Her blood coats the front of my chestpiece, visor, and gloves. Bits of skull and brain litter the ground around her shattered body. And as I turn to look at my contract, I realize he had gotten a few pieces of the mercenary on him as well.

"Enough games, you're coming back with me," I say and snap a set of handcuffs onto his hands. His eyes are wide in horror and he can only utter a pathetic whimper as I jerk him to his feet and push him through the bushes back down the trail I had just come from.

While we are making our way back down the winding path, I begin to take notice of a few out-of-place sounds. The rustle of a branch, the crunch of a concealed footstep, and it isn't long until I realize I'm being followed.

I then decide to do something my followers wouldn't expect. Once we round a particuarly shaded corner, I quickly side-step into the overgrowth and melt into the shadows.

Without a moment's hesitation I scale a tree and silently make my way across the knitted branches in search of whomever has been tailing me. It isn't long until I am looking down at a man's helmeted head. Before striking, however, I activate my stealth unit, scout the area, and find five other hidden soldiers. They are talking amongst themselves and it is obvious that they don't know where I went.

I silently drop from the branch I was perched on and let my legs absorb the fall. I then seize the first soldier by his neck and twist it sharply. While it doesn't instantly kill him, it does immobilize him and keep him from talking.

As the first's body falls, I tackle the second and plow him into the ground and sink my knife into the back of his head. A third soldier sees the two bodies fall and turns to shoot, but finds nobody there. He panics and begins to run, only to find his partner's knife imbedded into the back of his neck.

The remaining three fall quickly in succesion from fatal wounds. One soldier, however, suffers for three minutes because I had missed his heart.

I find the Ex-CEO trying to waddle away from the scene. I quickly catch up to him and guide him back to the trail and eventually to my waiting ship.

"I am reading zero voices on local radio chatter and some very confused snipers on the broad range channel. I am assuming everything went according to plan?" Areolen asks, projecting his avatar onto a nearby pedestal as I enter the ship through the extended ramp. Koll is walking ahead of me and Areolen glances at him as he passes the pedestal. "Better," I respond. The AI's avatar flickers out momentarily before transferring to another pedestal inside of the brig room as I put the man into the room and lock him in.

"I will keep an eye on him. Go and get some sleep," the AI says, watching me as I approach his pedestal. "Do I look that tired?" I ask him, taking off my helmet and rubbing my eyes with the back of my glove. "Yes," he replies. I just nod my head and begin making my way to the armor station.

Just as I activate the machine, the floor beneath my boots bucks and sends me crashing to my knees. I waste no time in getting back to my feet and racing for the cockpit. The floor bucks again as the hull shivers, making me lunge forwards and grab a hold of the pilot's seat.

As soon as I am seated, I pull up the radar and find the same Insurrectionist ship waiting for us. "I did not inform you because I thought they were gone," Areolen says, a disdainful tone tainting his voice. "They were hiding again," I growl.

I figure that we can't win a head-on fight with this thing, so I come up with an idea. "Areolen, in about a thirty seconds, activate the stealth drives, and deactivate them ten seconds afterwards," I command and punch in a set of directional coordinates. Areolen gives a noticeable pause as he reads the coordinates, and finally understands the reasoning.

The Prowler's engines spring to life and it lurches forwards. It then begins a graceful curve towards the insurrectionist ship, effectively dodging the heavy turrets mounted on its side. The massive ship begins to get even bigger as we approach at it from an angle.

It seems like we might hit it, but the Prowler suddenly veers aside and the viewscreen shimmers as the stealth drives are activated. The bigger ship's guns are unable to track the shadowed Prowler as it slips underneath the belly of the beast.

It takes a moment to align the Prowler with the Insurrectionist ship's engines, but when I do the shot is timed perfectly. I fire a salvo of missiles just as Areolen drops the stealth field and we shoot out from underneath the massive spaceship. The missiles find their targets and the engines of the bigger ship go up in a fireball of destruction.

"Lets get the hell out of here," I say and push the Prowler's engines to their limit. Preoccupied with saving their ship, the Insurrectionists don't follow as I drift further and further away.

I give the controls back to Areolen and leave the cockpit to take apart my armor for the ride home. As soon as I leave the suit of metal behind, I retreat to my quarters and lay on my bed as I review the battle recording and find what I could have done different. It's a favorite pass-time of mine and I have to admit that it has done little to further my combat skills. I guess it's just a strange habit.

The retrieval did not take much out of me and I stay awake for most of the ride to the planet where Koll will be staying.

I am met by a plethora of armed guards once the ship touches down on a sheltered landing platform. I take great care to avoid disengaging the stealth drive before landing as to not be seen by prying eyes. Once on the ground, I get the prisoner from the brig and escort him out of the ship. I see a camera out of the corner of my eye and stiffen up once I realize that this event has media coverage. The guards and I exchange a few words, and I quickly make my way back into my ship where no time is wasted in leaving the prison to slip silently out of the planet and back into the cold vice of Space.

Areolen keeps me company as I make the two day trip back to Gammer. I do upkeep on my armor, watch vids of battle recordings, and read up on a book I had borrowed from Janet. It's a relatively quiet time alone that I thoroughly enjoy.

Once I return to the dusty planet, each of my teammates had returned with their very own suits of Mjolnir armor and exciting tales to tell. We all gather in the mess hall and swap stories.

My target had been the easiest by far. Janet says that her target was a crafty Insurrectionist that managed to EMP her armor and almost make her fall off of a cliff. Having been alone, Janet didn't have back-up but did manage to get her suit back online and kill her contract after a long fight that took her through three separate biomes.

Charlie explained that he trashed his Mjolnir armor after he head-on stopped a speeding Warthog. His contract wanted to end the fight once and for all and got into a 'Hog and screamed that he was going to run him over. Charlie took the bluff, like the meathead he is, and actually stopped the Warthog by grabbing it and destroying the engine. His armor was absolutely wrecked, the Warthog exploded, and his target was killed after he was specifically given a retrieval mission. Suffice it to say, Nylen wasn't happy with him. But she did agree in giving him a second chance with another Mjolnir suit that she just happened to have as "back-up".

As for Melecia, he infiltrated an enemy base and cut their power using a hacking device he brought with him. By the time the power came back on, five minutes later, an elaborate trap lay in wait for his target and the people surrounding him. Melecia situated himself on an overhead support and offered them a way out. "Kill yourself, or I'll do it for you." Naturally, the people refused. So the trap was detonated, the people died, and Melecia walked away with 20,000 for completing his bounty.

"So, let me get this straight. You strolled right up to this camp, killed everyone, and walked away with your contract?" Charlie asks, clearly baffled by how my mission went. I just shrug and shovel another mouthful of hot food into my mouth, savoring the flavor. "Yeah. Went easy, I guess," I say with a small shrug. "It seems the hardest part you had was dealing with the ship in orbit," Janet says before eating another spoonful of a soup she had picked up. "At least one of us had it easy," Melecia comments.

We chat for a while in the mess hall before packing up to leave. Just as we are doing this, Andron walks in and quickly approaches us, a large grin plastered onto his sharp features. "Commander Nylen wants to speak with you four. I wasn't told why, but you had better head on down there ASAP," the Spartan says. We share glances with each other before heading out of the barracks area immediately.

A short walk leaves us in the director's dim office, standing at attention before her metal desk. She is sitting in her chair, arms folded, with four small boxes layed out in front of her.

"I have to commend each of you for your spectacular performances you have shown during your first missions alone. All but one of you managed to cause an acceptable amount of damage to your Mjolnir armor that was well within repairable ranges," Nylen says, looking pointedly at Charlie who wears a smirk. "Your efforts will not go un-rewarded."

Nylen walks around her desk to stand in between the four of us and her the desk. She then leans down and opens each of the small boxes and to reveal Sergeant bars laying in them.

My breath catches in my throat once she picks the bars up and pins it to my chest. I am stunned as she takes the other bars one-by-one and pins them to the other's chests and steps back with a beaming smile. I glance at the others to find the same shocked emotion mirrored back at me. "Congradulations, Sergeants. You've earned it," Nylen says.

The award ceremony is held the very next day. More than half of the Competitive Ashes (our Headhunting group) appears to watch. Nylen herself rewards us with several medals that adorn our dress uniforms. Charlie is the only one rewarded with a purple heart because he had broken his arm and several ribs after taking on the Warthog.

After the ceremony, Andron and two other Headhunters find us and take us aside. "Perish, meet Alecia and Sanitor. They're fellow Headhunters from our group and are here for a few days in between contracts. We want to treat you to some fun in the big city. Am I right?" Andron says, turning his grin to the other two soldiers. "My treat," Alecia says with a friendly smile. "So what do you say?" Andron says, watching us with his peircing eyes.

I look to the other three who just shrug. "I'm game," Charlie says. "No contest," Melecia adds. "We haven't celebrated before but I am excited to see what comes of it," Janet says. "Good!" Andron exclaims, clapping his hands together. "We already have a ride ready. Oh, and don't worry about telling Nylen. She already knows." Something in my gut knows that she, in fact, does not know. But I let it slide and follow the other three soldiers into the hanger where we load onto a Pelican and leave the military base behind.

While Andron flies the Pelican, the others start up a conversation with us after a few minutes of silence.

"You guys come from the Spartan academy, right?" Alecia asks. She says "Spartan academy" sarcasticly because it wasn't really an academy as much as it was a forced training project.

"Sort of. We were put into a side-project called Freebird. It trained us to work as a lone unit without much help or information from anyone else," I tell them. "It had to have you fairly well prepared for the Headhunters," Alecia says.

I think back to what we trained for and take a step back. It's then that I see it. It really did prepare us for them. It prepared us too well. It couldn't have been any kind of coincidence that almost immedieatly after augmentation we were contacted. One big experiment. That's all it has been.

I guess I had gotten angry because I feel a sharp ache crawling across my palm and look down to see my fingernails digging into my skin with blood beginning to well from the cuts. I release my fingers and rest my palm on my pants to try and staunch the bloodflow.

Melecia had seen the blood and raises an eyebrow at me and I decide to tell them my findings.

"It was all a god damn experiment," I say, looking at the four members of my team. "Waylen, Hokai, and the other instructors were all in on it. They told us that only one team would 'win' to see the effects. There was no reason to seperate us from the original seventy, no reason at all. We weren't 'special', we were just another failed experiment," I say bitterly.

Janet must have realized something because her expression suddenly changes. "Blue team...they never w _anted_ to hate us. It was forced on us by the instructors, by Waylen. The day we met, they tried to be friendly. And we pushed them away because we thought we needed to," she says. "You mean I hated 211's guts for nothing? That makes me pissed," Charlie says. "I wanted to tell all of you, but I figured the time was not right," Melecia says with a grim tone. "How long have you known?" I ask Melecia, turning to face him. "Since the day we met them. I caught Hokai and Waylen talking about the decision in their quarters. I would have told you sooner if I knew they would have died," the Spartan says, his voice breaking at the last second.

"Did you ever actually hate them?" Janet asks softly as she watches Melecia's gaze drop to the floor. "No. How could I? Four innocent children forced to fight others against their will. They would have made amazing soldiers, I could see that soley because how Jackson survived that metal pole."

"Soldiers come and go. Not even half survive the augmentation process. It wasn't your fault, I'm sure of it," Alecia says. "Yeah, now lets forget all of this and focus on the fun we're going to have," Sanitor says.

We drop the subject and begin talking about lighter areas of interest, such as the contracts we've been on and the places we've been to. We find out that Alecia and Sanitor have been in a previous Headhunting group but were transferred to the Competitive Ashes willingly after they heard it was the most dangerous group of the currently existing seven. Headhunters would disappear or often die and would have to be replaced. Gaps in the roster would be left for a very long time until a new recruit could fill the spot. Andron is the longest surviving member, having been here a few years after his augmentation. We also find out that their station in Gammer has only been recent and that they were moved there shortly after our arrival.

I find myself nodding off and snap awake when the Pelican comes to a halt on solid ground. The ramp drops and sharp daylight spills into the vehicle, temporarly blinding me and forcing me to cover my eyes with a hand. I follow the others out and find a clean parking garage filled to the brim with a variety of vehicles ranging from bulky civilian transports to the squat, agile Mongooses. Both civilian persons and military personnel move like waves through the far doors as they go through their business.

It turns out the building is a hub of sorts for those visiting the capitol city. We don't have to check in because of our ONI status. Instead, we quickly leave and rent a civilian van for transportation.

The other Headhunters give us a tour of the town that highlights the best bars to drink at and the best eating places as well as several different parks. After about three hours, the sun is beginning to set and we are led to a bustling bar sitting just off of the main street that cuts through a wall of businesses and is flooded by pedestrians and drivers alike.

The bar inside is busy with civilians and military personnel having a good time. I study the bar and notice a runway of sorts situated at the far end of the room with a handful of metal poles reaching from the cieling to the floor. Several chairs surround the platform but only a small amount of people sit in them. I ignore the thing and approach the bar and find an empty seat.

"What can I get for you?" One of the bartenders asks, approaching my seating area almost immedeately. Andron comes up behind and rests an arm on my shoulders. "It's his first time, so he will have some Mike's Lemonade and I'll go for the Bourbon Blast," Andron says and hands the bartender his credit card.

The Spartan sits next to me and stretches his arms over his head. "This place is busy," I note, scanning the flood of people inside of the building. "Always is. It's a hotspot for Army and Marines alike," he says. "Since it's your first time having a drink, I was kind and ordered you something weak. I don't want you embarrasing yourself with those new bars, _Sergeant_."

As the bartender is preparing our drinks, I look around the bar to see if I see the others whom had split up upon entering the doors, but all I see is an ocean of heads and clothing. I remembered that Janet had gone with Alecia, Charlie with Sanitor, and Melecia wandered off by himself. I find myself a little nervous about them but try and forget about it, knowing that they can take care of themselves.

My attention is drawn to the glasses once the bartender hands us our drinks and steps away to take care of other matters. Andron takes his and watches me as I sample the drink. It burns a little going down my throat, but it's cold and tastes pretty good. Soon enough, my worries about my teammates have slipped away.

Andron takes his drink and quickly downs it in a few deep swigs. "Well, I'm off. Try not to get thrown out," he says and leaves the bar. I don't see him for the rest of the night.

I try to keep myself situated at the bar and focus on not making an idiot out of myself. I definitely feel the effects of the alchohol buzzing through my system. It makes me a little fuzzy headed and warms my chest. But to my credit, I stay seated and only talk to a handful of people.

The attention is drawn from the bar when music penetrates through the din and catches my attention. My gaze is drawn to the platform I saw earlier where fake smoke has started billowing out from behind the silk curtains. Trailing behind the smoke are skinny women that are under-dressed and walk provacitively. They attach themselves to the pole and begin dancing. The men that had gathered around the platform's edge begin hollering and hooting. I find Sanitor and Charlie amongst the throng throwing money at the dancers.

The activity quickly bores me and I turn back towards the bar and finish my drink. The rest of the night is a blur of activity as I wait out my stay on that barstool, hunched over the bar. I vaguely remember falling asleep and waking up to Melecia's voice in a place I don't recognize.

A pounding headache is the second thing I notice, and I have to squint as I look at the soldier. "Where...am I?" I ask, glancing around the room. The room has two beds, both filled with Spartans. "A hotel room we rented out for the night. Andron and I thought ahead and figured everyone would be too wasted to drive. They appointed me as the designated driver after they realized I was the only one sober. Drove all of you home, and you guys passed out. Well, besides you. You had to be carried inside. I've never seen anyone sleep like that," Melecia finishes with a short chuckle.

I look behind me to find a window at my back. A sheet of darkness cloaks the city whos lights pierce the color of the night. I then realize I am slouched over in a chair with padded coushins. By the way I am situated, I know that I have been unconcious for a few hours.

"What time is it?" I ask Melecia. He glances back at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand. "0412. A few hours until daylight. I say enjoy it while you can, because we'll be heading back to Gammer once everyone's up," the Spartan answers.

He then hands me a glass of water that is crystal clear and tastes purified. "Sanitor said this can help with hangovers, otherwise known as that headache you're expierencing. There's a balcony through the sliding door. The fresh air might help," Melecia says before turning around to sit on the edge of the bed and watch the TV.

I take his advice and step through the glass door to lean on the balcony's edge three stories above the ground. The silence that surrounds me is surprising and fits my aching head like a glove. I slowly drink the glass of water as I observe the grounds surrounding the Hotel. I assume that there is a nature park of sorts behind it because a large amount of carefully manicured trees are littered around the stretch of land.

I had seen a chair sitting next to the door on my way out here, and I sit down into it and continue to observe through the balcony's low iron bars.

I continue to do so even after I've finished the water and the hangover is slowly beginning to subside. I stay out long enough to watch the morning sun begin to creep over the slumbering city and melt away the darkness. I take in a breath of crisp air and can't help but feel at peace. I notice that the city had clouds covering its skies, causing it to be overcast. The clouds are relitavely thin and I assume they'll dissapate within a few hours.

For once in my life, I am truly at peace with myself. I'm not being pressured to complete a mission, I don't have anybody nagging at me to do something, and there are no sounds. Only silence. And through the slowly ebbing headache, I find a peaceful calm.

Life has a funny way of ruining these moments for you, though. Just as I close my eyes, I happen to open them again and stare out over the city to catch a misplacement in the clouds. It happens slowly. They shift, as if parting to reveal some heavenly messenger. I stand up to watch it, transfixed by its sudden appearence.

A sleek purple vehicle slips through the clouds, parting them around its deadly hull. The spikes adorning the front of its maw look like teeth. Even from here I can see the glow building up. I watch with a feeling of dread in my gut, knowing that this isn't going to be good.

Someone steps out onto the balcony with me and by glancing to my side, I can tell it's Andron. He lets out a sound of disbelief as his grogginess is cleared instantly. "No...god, please no," he mutters.

Without warning, the glow bursts into a brilliant beam of energy that lances down into the ground. Everything in its path explodes violently, and kills anything it touches.

Andron darts back into the room, nearly forgetting to open the door and narrowly avoiding smacking into the glass. Melecia is watching the TV and looks over at him as he enters. Upon the sudden entry, five heads look up at him and hear the devastating news.

"The Covenant are here!"


End file.
